


Expecting Felicity

by Spybaby47



Category: Gilmore Girls, Madam Secretary, The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bartlet Administration, Childbirth, Children, Drama & Romance, Emotional, F/M, Family Dynamics, Loving Marriage, Multi, White House
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:06:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 34,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29083599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spybaby47/pseuds/Spybaby47
Summary: Abbey and Jed Bartlet make a seemingly inconsequential decision on election night. As they enter the White House for the Bartlet Administration's first term, the couple learns that this decision has serious, historical consequences. How will their family and the senior staff react when they learn that the Bartlets are going to welcome their fourth daughter into their lives and into the White House?
Relationships: Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. Breaking News

**Author's Note:**

> Note: This story started out as a piece of sweet, fluffy fan fiction that I wrote to use two flashbacks for. But it quickly became an origin story of sorts for the immediate Bartlet Family as they prepare to welcome their daughter and sister, Felicity. At its core, this is a story about love and how complicated it can be to love other people, especially family. 
> 
> The story begins at the start of the Bartlet Administration and follows the characters as they grapple with welcoming the first baby born to a sitting President since 1963. It ends around the time of the TWW pilot. The choice to set it this way wasn't made lightly. I actually resisted it at first, but it inspired quite the story. 
> 
> Thanks to my beta readers, mlea7675 and Ruth, for their feedback on this story. Thank you, Aaron Sorkin for creating these characters and to the actors who breathed life into them. I had fun playing with them. But they aren't mine and remain the property of their respective rights holders. (Except for Felicity.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abbey seeks out CJ's advice on a delicate matter. Jed reflects on the conversation he had with Abbey on the night of his inauguration.

Tuesday, February 16, 1999  
Four Days After President Bartlet's First State of the Union  
Morning

Abbey Bartlet walked through the West Wing heading towards CJ Cregg’s office. She had an excellent relationship with CJ and trusted her expertise when it came to matters of PR and the press. Jed had wanted to talk with CJ as a couple and was a little more than irritated that Abbey wanted to do this alone. But she knew that this was not going to be as simple as breaking the news. CJ was an excellent press secretary and had a keen sense of the media. Abbey needed to call on that expertise if there was any hope of pulling off this plan.

Abbey approached the open door of CJ’s office and knocked on the door frame, “CJ?”

CJ looked up and smiled, “Hello Ma’am,” She said, standing and coming around the desk to greet her. “Come in.”

Abbey stepped inside and closed the door behind her, “Thank you.”

CJ gestured for her to sit and the two women took a seat on her sofa. “You mentioned on the phone that you needed to come up with a strategy for something of a sensitive nature?”

“Yes, CJ I do,” Abbey began. “The President wanted to be in on this discussion as well. But I have some thoughts about what I'd like to do. Before we get into a larger discussion, I'd like to know what your honest thoughts are."

"Okay. Let's start with the issue at hand," CJ replied.

"I'm pregnant, CJ."

CJ opened her mouth to say something. But nothing came out. Thoughts began racing through her mind. Initially, she thought she hadn't heard the First Lady correctly. But then her mind flashed on the President. Ever since their first full day in office after the inauguration, Jed Bartlet seemed to have an extra pep in his step. At first, the senior staff all assumed that he was thrilled about the start of his term and motivated to get things done. But the honeymoon phase was already starting to wear off for most of them. The same couldn't be said for the President. In fact, he seemed positively gleeful this morning.

"Congratulations," CJ managed to say after a moment. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "I assume this is why the President has been so...chipper lately?"

Abbey smiled, "It has quite a lot to do with it, yes. He's been quite the proud peacock, hasn't he? That's not to say that the President and I don't have our fears about all of this," She said as her smile faded slightly.

"Ma'am, there's nothing wrong is there?"

"No, no," Abbey said quickly. "I'm perfectly healthy and so is the baby, for the moment. I had a prenatal cell-free DNA screening done the morning of the State of the Union and the results came back earlier today. It was all normal. So, we're moving ahead with telling the girls tonight."

"Oh wow," CJ said. "So am I the first to know?"

"Outside the Surgeon General, my medical team, and the President, yes," Abbey answered.

_4 Weeks Earlier..._

_Inauguration Eve_

_Millicent Griffith sat at her desk in her new office, trying to focus on the briefing book in front of her. Boxes littered her office. Out of consideration for her successor, the still serving Surgeon General was working in an office down the hall. With the inauguration the next day, he cleared out the office a few days earlier, so she could start moving in._

  
_They had just adjourned for lunch, and she was currently waiting for the First Lady to show up. Millie and Abbey's friendship stretched all the way back to college and medical school, a well-publicized fact at this point. It wasn't necessarily unusual for them to have lunch together. But Millie found it strange that Abbey wanted to see her today of all days._

_There was a knock on the door._

_"Come in!" She called._

_The door opened and Abbey stepped inside before closing the door behind her._

_"The office suits you," She noted with pride._

_"Thank you. Apologies for the mess. Things have been hectic lately."_

_Abbey waived it off, "Please, everything is in a state of flux right now._

_"So what's going on?" Millie asked as she and Abbey took a seat at the conference table. "I know this isn't about lunch."_

_“I need to talk to you about something,” Abbey admitted, her nerves flaring up. “You would be the first person to know. I haven’t even told Jed yet.”_

_Concern showed in Millie’s face, “What is it, Abbey?”_

_“I need you to draw labs for me. I was going to go have them done. But I'd rather not risk Jed or the girls finding out inadvertently if it's nothing."_

_"Okay," Millie said. "I take it you have an idea of what you want me to test for?"_

_"Millie, I think I'm pregnant.”_

_Millie looked momentarily surprised, but then her expression softened, "You're not one to think," She pointed out._

_"No," Abbey admitted. "I'm 99% positive that I am. But the thought of confirming it scares me. If it is true, I have to tell Jed, and he'll be over the moon and then----It's the absolute worst time for it too."_

_"Babies are known for terrible timing," Millie said dryly and stood up. "Come on, best friend. Let's go see what we're dealing with."_

_90 minutes later, Abbey was sitting in an exam room in another part of the HSS building. It was part of a clinic used for onsite care and testing of employees. She was waiting for Millie to return from getting the results from the lab. This day felt like one of the longest of her life. But she needed to know whether it was about to become even more complicated. The door opened and Millie came back in with a file in her hand._

_"Well?" Abbey asked, rising._

_Millie handed her the file wordlessly and then sat in the chair next to the one that Abbey occupied. Abbey opened the file and scanned the results sheet inside. She let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding and took her seat again._

_"I take it that this wasn't planned?" Millie asked after a minute._

_"Let's just say I made a bad judgment call on election night."_

_Millie bit her lip, "Abbey...you didn't."_

_"Apparently, I'm no better than a teenager. I let my husband, the President-elect, talk me out of using condoms even though we should have." She grumbled._

_"We could have a quick look and see where you are," She suggested after a moment._

_Abbey looked over at her friend, "Now?"_

_"We have the equipment," she said, pointing to an ultrasound machine._

_In the span of about 10 minutes, Abbey found herself lying on the exam table with her the bottom of her blouse undone along with the top of her trousers to let Millie get a complete view. Millie applied the gel to her stomach and then gently guided the probe over the skin, searching. Abbey kept her gaze fixed on the ceiling at first, too hesitant to look. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Millie reach down and turn a dial. The room filled with the sound of a strong heartbeat. She turned her head and saw the unmistakable outline of a fetus._

_"Can't deny that, can I?" She murmured._

_"You'll have to get this confirmed by an OB, but by the looks of things, I'd say you're around 10 weeks give or take."_

_"The timing is about right," Abbey agreed._

_There was no question about it. She would have to tell Jed sooner rather than later. It was simply a matter of how long they would be able to keep it private, especially in the White House._

"You want to delegate some of your work as First Lady to the girls, and take up a teaching position at GW?"

"That's the gist of it."

"It's ambitious, "Ma'am," CJ replied. "There's going to be a lot of questions as to why you're going back to medicine and passing off duties to your children."

"Which is why I need your help, CJ. I have to stay healthy and reduce my stress levels as much as possible. Going back to my chosen profession is the best cover I could come up with. It would give me an excuse to stay in DC without giving away why."

"Realistically speaking, you're not going to be able to keep this a secret forever."

"No, but I have to try. I know it might be a fool's errand. But America has already been through this before with the Kennedys," She said quietly.

CJ's mouth went dry at the reference. She had been so caught up in wrapping her mind around the fact that the Bartlets were having a baby that her mind hadn't gotten to thinking about the last time a sitting president had a child. Patrick Kennedy had died less than two days after his premature birth in 1963.

"I didn't even think about that," CJ admitted. "There was one other child born to a president, wasn't there?"

"Esther Cleveland," Abbey supplied. "Born here in 1893."

"No pressure or anything."

The two women chuckled at that, relieving some of the seriousness of the conversation. Abbey studied CJ's face for a moment and could see that the other woman was giving what she said serious consideration.

"I know I'm asking a lot of you, CJ," Abbey said. "That's why I came to you first. I want to be proactive and responsible about the way this is handled. I still have to find out if the girls would be willing to help me once we tell them the news. So, why don't we set up another meeting in the next few days? The president can join us, and we can talk about this further.

CJ nodded her agreement, "I'll take what we've discussed under advisement and come up with a few strategies on how we can handle this going forward.”

* * *

_4 Weeks Earlier..._  
_Inauguration Night_

_Jed walked out onto the Truman Balcony at just before 2am on the night of his inauguration. Technically, it was the next day, but he didn't feel like it was since he was still in his tux. His eyes searched it for Abbey, who had wandered out here when he took a call. He found her sitting on one of the outdoor sofas, still in her deep red ball gown and wrapped up in a throw._

_“God you look spectacular,” He said quietly as he sat down beside her. It wasn't a line either. Jed Bartlet really did believe that Abbey got even more beautiful over time._

_"Well, thank you. But I'm exhausted," She said honestly, looking over at him._

_"Then let's go to bed," He suggested._

_"I've been trying to talk to you since yesterday," Abbey pointed out. "But it seems like we haven't gotten a moment alone all week."_

_"We're alone now," He said and reached over to open the throw. He snuggled up next to her before pulling it around them._

_Abbey snuggled into him, appreciating the warmth of his body. It was chilly out here, but she needed air after a night full of parties. She stared up at the moon shining back at them from the sky, trying to find the right way to tell her husband the news that would alter their lives forever, for better or worse._

_"Our lives are about to get very complicated," She finally said after a moment of silence between them._

_"I know, but it's nothing we can't handle, babe," Jed reassured her, thinking she was talking about the presidency._

_"I should have never listened to you," She said more to herself than to him._

_"Abbey, what are you talking about?"_

_She could hear the confusion in his voice and was torn between being annoyed at him and crying. They had been so busy with all the inauguration activities that Abbey barely had time to think about what she had learned when she was with Millie the day before._

_"Oh God, Jed," She whispered. "I knew better. We knew better than this, and now it's all going to play out in the White House for the entire country to see."_

_Abbey knew she was rambling and sounded anxious. It was probably the hormones. But she couldn't help it. Now that she finally knew for certain that they had, in fact, willingly conceived a child, it was all starting to hit her at once._

_"Abbey?" Jed said again, worry creeping into his tone. "You're starting to scare me."_

_"You knocked me up, jackass," She said, tears welling up in her eyes unbidden. "It wasn't enough for you to be elected President, you just had to go for the brass ring too."_

_Jed's eyes widened. He was struck with the urge to laugh and to cry at the same time. “Are you serious?” He managed to ask. Shock was definitely part of it. But there was also a spark of hope._

_“Yes.”_

_“Abbey, really?” He said searching her eyes. His voice was thick with emotion._

_“Really,” She confirmed as her breath caught in her throat. She felt as if she was about to burst, "I went to see Millie yesterday, and she confirmed it for me."_

_Jed pulled her into him and kissed his wife passionately. They stayed like that for a long time. The world around them faded away, and it was just the two of them. No words were exchanged between them, only kisses, tears, and a little of laughter._

_"We never had this experience with the girls," Jed noted quietly when they parted._

_"I remember," Abbey replied. "Getting pregnant took time, especially with Zoey."_

_"I guess the fourth time is the charm, then. Once, and you’re stuffed,” He teased._

_Abbey smacked his arm lightly, “Stop it. As memory serves it was more than once that night.”_

_“And I enjoyed every single second of it,” He whispered in her ear._

_An involuntary shiver traveled down her spine, “I want to be so mad at you right now.”_

_Jed nuzzled her neck, but didn’t offer another tease. He could feel the mixture of excitement and fear radiating off her in waves. As excited as he was at the prospect of having a fourth baby, there was a part of him that was just as scared as she was. Now was not the time to admit that, though. He had to be strong for her. After a few more minutes, they rose and went back to their bedroom._

_Once there, they started to undress and get ready for bed. In just a matter of hours, they were both going to be needed at work. Abbey changed into her pajamas and crossed to the chair in the sitting area where she had left her work tote. She retrieved the set of ultrasound images Millie had printed for her from a slip pocket inside the bag and returned to the bed._

_Abbey got into bed and flipped through the images as she waited for her husband to come back from the bathroom. As terrified as she was about all the things that could go wrong, Abbey couldn’t deny the love blooming in her heart already for this baby. Despite waiting to confirm her suspicions, she started caring for herself as if she were pregnant for that very reason. She looked over at the center of the bed and for just a second, the image of a sleeping child flashed before her eyes._

_Jed emerged from the bathroom and got into bed beside his wife, distracting her from her thoughts._

_"Whatcha got there?" He asked, looking over at what she had in her hands._

_"Baby's first sonogram," She replied and scooted towards him, so they could look at them together._

_"So this is her," He said with a mixture of amazement and amusement in his voice._

_"We don't know that yet. It could be either," Abbey pointed out._

_"Honey, we've done this dance before, and it's ended the same way each time," He chuckled. "When can we find out?"_

_"Technically, we could find out any time we want once I decide on a provider. I'm around 10 weeks."_

_Jed felt like someone had just put a lead weight on his chest as he realized that Abbey had been holding on to this secret for a little while at least. They never kept secrets, especially something this big, from one another. But he understood why, and it made him wish that he could relieve the burden that was her medical knowledge for this._

_"You could have told me, sweetheart," He said gently, kissing the side of her head. "I hate to think of you dealing with this alone."_  
  
_“Having this baby isn’t going to be easy, Jed. There are so many things that could go wrong—-"_

_“Don’t,” Jed said firmly. “Don’t go to worst-case scenarios. You had three healthy pregnancies before. There’s no reason to think this one won’t be.”_

_“I’m ancient by maternal medicine standards. My risk for complications is higher, for that reason alone. We can’t take anything for granted.”_

_"Ok. What's next?"_

_"Millie is putting together a list of OBs and midwives here in DC. I started one, but I couldn't bring myself to act on any of them. The last thing I need is to feel like I have no control over my body."_

_Receiving medical care was hard for any doctor. Abbey always tried to take it in stride for her colleagues. But she had never been satisfied with the care she received when she was pregnant before. It always felt like she was merely a vessel for the life inside her, instead of part of a team._

_"You can do whatever you want, Abigail. You have my complete and total support."_

_"You say that now. But we're not private citizens anymore, honey. What will our staffs say when I have to bow out of something because I have no energy left? Never mind the press. As it is, I'm already thinking about what being pregnant will mean for my work schedule."_

_"We'll handle it," He assured her. "Just like we always have. One step at a time." Jed leaned down toward Abbey's pajama-clad stomach, "The same goes for you too, little lady. You need to concentrate on growing and prove to your mommy that you're going to come out just fine. That's an order from your daddy."_

_"You haven't even about this child for an hour, and you're already trying to tell her what to do," Abbey said as amusement danced in her eyes. Her heart felt a little lighter too._

_"You said "her"," Jed said, looking up at his wife triumphantly._

_"Just thinking about the odds," She replied as she set down the scans and took his face in her hands. "I love you more than I could ever I stay mad at you for," She said quietly._

_"I love you, too," He said and leaned in to kiss her again._

_Both knew that they had a long road ahead. But they had been through their fair share of difficult times in over 30 years of marriage. This was no different, only this time if all went well, a baby would be at the end of it. And that was something to hope for._

* * *

“Mr. President?” Leo said regarding his boss from where he stood on the other side of the Resolute Desk in the Oval.

“Yeah?” Jed said, breaking away from his thoughts.

“You wanted to see me about something?’

“Yes,” He confirmed, looking over to make sure the doors to his office and Leo’s were closed before turning back to his Chief of Staff. “I need to tell you something. You can start telling the rest of the senior staff tomorrow. But for now, it’s just you and CJ. Abbey’s probably telling her right now.”

“What is it?” He asked, looking concerned.

“Abbey’s pregnant.” 

"You're kidding," Leo said, his eyes lighting up with a mixture of surprise and shock.

"Your President does not kid, Leo. At least not about this," Jed replied and gestured for Leo to come around the desk.

Leo went around the desk and stood by Jed's chair, watching as his long- time friend and President pulled out what looked like a photo from a hidden pocket on the inside of his suit jacket. He turned it to face Leo, who immediately recognized it as an ultrasound photo.

"How about that?" He said quietly with a hint of amusement.

"Fresh off the presses as of Friday," Jed replied, pride evident in his voice. "Abbey opted to have a prenatal cell-free DNA screening and we just the results back today. Everything looks good and the test confirmed that Baby Bartlet is on track to arrive in August.”

“You’re going to have your hands full, my friend,” He grinned. “August isn’t very far away.”

“I’m going to need you and all the senior staff to make sure that it happens, Leo," He said seriously. "Whether I like it or not, I’m going to have to accept that this child is going to become a part of my and Abbey’s public lives. Until he or she is safe in our arms, no one, and I mean no one, who absolutely does not need to know will know about this baby. I want to be proactive about this. Whatever we can do, short of breaking the law to safeguard this secret, let’s explore it.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“In the meantime, spare a positive thought for Abbey and me tonight. We’re breaking the news to the girls.”

“They might not let you live it down for a while. But something tells me they’ll be happy to have a sibling.”

“From your lips to God’s ears, Leo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Knowing that CJ worked in Hollywood PR having her take the lead on this is one way to give her a little more credit than she got in the early seasons. This seemed like a plausible way to do just that. 
> 
> Patrick Kennedy's death had a profound effect on his family and on America as a whole in 1963. His death might have been preventable at another time. Not making the country revisit this history would be a significant motivator for the staff and the Bartlets.
> 
> Prenatal cell-free DNA screening is a real blood test some women choose to have instead of an amniocentesis or CVS test to screen for abnormalities in pregnancy. It was not introduced until 2011. I opted to make use of it for this story because there is a risk of miscarriage with these procedures and women do choose not to have them for that reason. Even though Abbey is a doctor herself, I felt she would have had similar feelings and opted to choose another type of testing. From my research, the real screening is not as precise as it is for this story.


	2. The Best Laid Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liz, Ellie, and Zoey speculate about why they were asked to stay at the White House for a few days after the first State of the Union. Abbey and Jed get into a discussion about the welcoming a baby into their lives only to have it take an unexpected turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thank you to everyone for the positive feedback about this story. It warms my heart to know that you love it just as much as I do. 
> 
> This second chapter starts to get into the family dynamics surrounding both a new baby and the impact Jed’s MS diagnosis has on his family. I tried to be sensitive to the way I include it in this story (and hopefully others) because I care about the characters and the fact that such a topic may hit close to home for my readers.

Tuesday, February 16, 1999  
Four Days After President Bartlet's First State of the Union  
Late Afternoon

Upstairs, Zoey Bartlet wandered into the library in the White House Residence and found her sister Ellie studying. It wasn't really a surprise considering that Ellie was a 1st year med-student who really couldn't take time off. But somehow, she had made the effort to come to the State of the Union and stay for a while afterwards simply because she was asked to.

“Don’t you ever take a break?” She asked.

“I have a test on Thursday,” Ellie replied, not looking up at her sister.

“Forget tests, Ellie. We’re sitting here waiting around for mom and dad. Lizzie is still here, even though Doug and Annie went home on Sunday after mom’s birthday dinner.”

“I was here, Zoey,” Ellie reminded her. “Mom and dad said they were waiting on something before they said anything to us.”

“Don’t you want to know why?”

“It’s probably something involving the press that they want us to be aware of.”

“Liz said mom and dad wanted her to be here. That’s why she decided to take meetings with non-profits while she’s in DC.”

“Well, maybe they thought she needed to be here.”

“They never ask her to be here for anything else.”

“Ellie, come on...”

Ellie looked up at her, “What do you want me to say, Zoey?”

“This has to be big, El. Why else would we be here on a Tuesday?”

“Maybe,” Ellie admitted. “But if it was bad, they would have told us something by now.”

“I guess. Do you think it has anything to do with dad's MS?

"If it did, they would have given us some kind of heads up. Mom would never let us be caught off guard like that. As far as I know, dad is still in remission."

Liz walked into the library still wearing the dressy outfit she had left the White House in earlier that day, "I thought I heard voices in here. What are you two up to?"

"Zoey won't let me study in peace because she wants to know what mom and dad are going to tell us over dinner."

"It's going to be fine, Zoe," Liz reassured her. "I saw mom when I left, and she told me that they have really good news to tell us."

"Why didn't she just tell us this morning then? This is torture," She moaned.

Liz rolled her eyes, "Okay drama queen. You do know that mom and dad have real jobs, right? Ones that don't revolve around our feelings?"

"Yes," Zoey said with a sigh. "Why are you being so nice anyway? You hate DC."

"Mom and dad called me a couple of weeks ago and asked if I wouldn't mind staying for the week after the State of the Union. They have a project that they might need help with."

Ellie looked up from her textbook, "If I didn't know any better, it sounds like you're volunteering to do First Daughter duties, Lizzie. I thought you told mom and dad that you weren't interested."

"I'm not. But they asked me to hear them out. So, I said I would."

"Funny, mom and dad asked me the same thing," Ellie replied. "That's why I agreed to go back on Thursday. What about you, Zoey?"

"Mom asked me if I wouldn't mind coming down for a week. See Ellie, this has to be something really big. Why else would they ask us to stay on like this? I wish we could go snoop," She sighed.

"You know the Secret Service won't let us in their room unless Mom and Dad say it’s okay,” Liz reminded her. “But you’re right, Zoey, it must be something big.”

“Aren’t you the least bit interested to find out what it is?”

“Not enough to get in trouble with the Secret Service. You can try to go snoop if you want to and deal with mom and dad when you get caught.”

“I agree,” Ellie said, looking at Zoey. “I’m not going to cover for you either. Mom and dad will tell us when they’re ready.”

Quiet settled over the room with a sense of unease. In spite of their sisterly banter, each of the Bartlet girls knew that they couldn’t take anything for granted. They knew all too well how quickly things could change.

❧  
_Six years earlier...._

_Concord Memorial Medical Center_  
_Concord, NH_

_Every part of Abbey’s body felt weary as she exited the elevator on the first floor of Concord Memorial Hospital. She wasn’t quite sure where she was going. The only thing Abbey was certain of at this point was that she needed to give Jed space. He was undergoing further testing and initial treatment after his MS diagnosis a few weeks earlier. He was angry and frustrated, and feeling a million other emotions, of that she was sure._

_But the one person Jed didn’t want around right now was Abbey. He made that perfectly clear, and she couldn’t really blame him. Watching him go through this and not being to do anything for him as a doctor or his wife was so painful, she felt like her heart would physically break in two. Her feet led her to the hospital chapel. She had been to this one only a couple of times to pray for friends who were hospitalized here._

_Abbey opened the door and stepped inside. The place was quietly lit by a few lights. Natural sunlight streamed through a few windows, but the lowered lighting gave the place a peaceful atmosphere. She sat down in one of the pews and realized that she was alone in the chapel. Crossing herself, Abbey began to pray._

_“You tied my hands,” She said quietly into the space. “I can’t help my husband. Instead, I’m just left to sit here and let Jed suffer through this. I have to watch my beautiful, smart, loving husband be taken away from me at some future date, much too soon. How I am supposed to handle that? He’s my entire world and my children’s entire world. They shouldn’t have to learn what it’s like to live without their father, not like this. That’s a burden no child should have to carry._

_I’ve used the gifts you’ve given me to save so many lives and even when I fail to do that, I know that there’s something to come out of it. But I’m struggling with this. I love Jed with my whole being. Since the day we met, we’ve been devoted to each other. He’s my heart…he’s my love, and yet, I can’t do anything to help him, except sit here. Help me help him, please. I cannot spend the rest of our lives on a knife’s edge waiting for Jed to be taken from me. I can’t do this alone.”_

_Abbey fell silent then. A small part of her felt better for at least being able to articulate her feelings. But there was still the matter of dealing with the road ahead of her. She sat there for a long time. When Abbey rose again to return to her husband, it was with a new resolve. She would fight for her husband and love him with the same fierceness and devotion she always had. In the end, they needed each other and Abbey wouldn’t give up Jed without a fight._

A fluttering sensation brought Abbey into the present. She sat in her East Wing office going over a list of possible duties that the girls might be interested in taking for the next 6 months before dinner tonight. Much of it was ceremonial or charity-related, what Jed considered things that she could pass along. But Abbey didn’t necessarily feel that way. She took all of her commitments seriously. Even though she had a perfect reason to be paring down her schedule, she wanted them to be left in the hands of people who would care about them like she did.

“Are you trying to give me your opinion?” She whispered quietly to the child nestled safely in her belly. “Hmm?”

More flutters followed. Abbey figured out quickly that this baby loved being talked to. It was the thing that got her moving around. Otherwise, she was relatively quiet, seemingly concentrating on her growing and developing as her daddy told her to do. But today was different. Abbey could swear that the baby knew that this was the day her sisters find out about her. She could only hope that her older daughters would share their excitement eventually.

❧

At exactly 6:45pm, Jed left the Oval Office and headed back to the residence with a large white shopping bag in his hand containing a surprise for that night. Leo had promised him that there would be no interruptions for the next hour or two unless the world was literally going to end if he didn't respond to the situation at hand.

When he arrived in the Residence, he heard laughter coming from the kitchen. He set the bag down just outside the door and peeked into the room, He found all three of his girls in the midst of cooking a meal together that smelled amazing.

“What’s all of this?” Jed asked, walking in.

All three girls looked up in the midst of their meal preparation, and they all looked happy.

“We’re making Tuscan chicken for dinner," Liz informed him from her place at the stove.

“I thought we were ordering dinner from the downstairs kitchen?”

Ellie shrugged, “Since we’ve been waiting for you and mom to come up, making dinner seemed like the best way to pass the time.”

“We also realized that it’s been forever since we’ve had dinner together, just the five of us,” Zoey said.

Jed considered what Zoey had said and realized that he couldn’t even remember when they had last sat down for a meal as an immediate family.

“Mom's taking a bath," Liz added, looking over at him. "Dinner will be ready in a half-hour."

"Okay. I'll go see what your mother has been up to," He said delighted, but still somewhat surprised to find that his daughters had everything handled.

Jed retrieved the bag and headed for the presidential bedroom. Abbey was just coming out of the bathroom, wrapped in a dark blue silk robe. Her long hair was pinned up on her head.

"Hi sweetheart," He said entering the room and closing the door behind him.

"You're actually here on time," She said impressed as she watched him set the bag down on the chair closest to the door.

"I am," He said setting the bag on the chair closest to the door.

"What's in there?" She asked as Jed closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her deeply.

"The necklaces I had made," He replied when they parted. "Did you know the girls are in the kitchen making dinner?"

"Liz's idea. Zoey was getting impatient waiting for us to come back. So, she came up with the idea to make dinner, if only to prevent Zoey from snooping."

He shook his head, "How was your day?"

"Productive. I met with CJ and outlined my plan to possibly give the girls some of my portfolio and potentially teach at GW."

"Teach? I thought the whole point of offloading some of your portfolio is to give you time to rest, not work more."

"It is. But I'm also trying to keep my hand in medicine. We talked about me practicing at one of the local hospitals before the inauguration. Given recent developments, I'm looking into possibly teaching and mentoring young doctors instead."

"I don't know if I like this," He grumbled.

"Jed," Abbey said firmly. "I cannot stay cooped up in the Residence or my office for the next 25 weeks if everything goes right. If the girls do agree to take on parts of my portfolio that involve travel and other meetings, there has to be a legitimate reason for it."

"I know you can't," He admitted. "But you said yourself that growing another human being is a lot of work, and I've seen how tired you’ve been in these last few weeks."

"I tell you to slow down and take it easy all the time," She pointed out.

"I'm not the one growing the baby," He replied, leaning in to kiss her again.

Abbey avoided his kiss, "My condition is temporary, Mr. President. Yours is not. I am doing everything I can to take care of myself and our daughter. You need to do the same."

"Abbey..." He said.

Abbey stepped out of his embrace and went over to the bed where she had laid out some very soft, loose fitting pants and a sweater to go over them, along with her undergarments, in preparation for dinner. She unbelted her robe and started to get dressed.

"I'm serious," She said simply. "I know you just got into office, but your first year will almost be over by the time this baby arrives. The three years after that are going to fly by, and you need to take care of yourself."

"You knew that being President isn't a 9 to 5 job when I decided to run."

"You have a disease, Jed. One that is exacerbated by stress. We are in the most stressful environment that there is, and we're about to have another child. So don't you dare treat me like I'm some delicate flower, and tell me I need to take more off my plate to concentrate on this baby when you aren't willing to do the same. "

"And you have more control over what you do than I do right now," He snapped. "Including your work schedule."

Abbey shook her head, "That is rich coming from you," She said as she pulled on her pants before sitting on the bed.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

She turned back to face him, "Don't tell me you have no control over what you do, Josiah Bartlet. I told you we needed to use a condom because I had to go off the pill. We decided not to use one, together, and we are having a baby. There's no way around it. You have to take care of yourself for you and our daughter. That's it."

Silence stretched between them. Abbey’s words stung but they were true. They hadn’t planned for this baby the same way they had for her sisters. At worst, he could claim that he’d acted irresponsibly. Conceiving a child the night he won the presidency certainly fit that definition, even though neither he nor Abbey thought it would happen. But nature had been on their side that night, and it gave them the baby they regretted not trying harder for after Zoey was born.

"I'm right here, Abigail," He said going over to the bed and sitting down beside her. "And I don't plan on going anywhere."

"Then please, do as I'm asking you," Abbey said wearily. "Our girls still need you even though they're all practically grown and their sister will need you for a very long time to come," She said, resting her hand on her abdomen where a swell was just starting to form.

"Okay," He agreed, his hand joining hers to rest over where their daughter was.

They sat there for a few minutes together before Abbey reached for her top and slipped it on, "We'd better go out there."

"Yeah," He agreed and got off the bed to go change his shirt.

Abbey slipped on her shoes and stood up only to feel an overwhelming sense of dizziness.

"Jed...," She managed to say.

Jed hadn't moved more than a few feet away. He turned just in time to see his entire world begin to crumple to the floor. He closed the space between them rapidly and caught Abbey as she fainted in his arms.

"Abbey..." He croaked. She didn't respond. Not letting go of her, Jed carefully turned and reached for the phone on Abbey's nightstand with the hand that wasn't fully supporting his wife. He picked it up and stabbed the speed dial for the White House Medical Unit. He put the phone to his ear and was relieved to hear someone pick up on the first ring, "I need someone from the First Lady's medical team in the Residence right now," He barked. "She's passed out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who knew the Bartlet clan would have so much to say? I’m working on finishing a story about election night that I may post separately before the next chapter. If I do it will be posted here.


	3. Sisters and Secret Keepers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan to tell Liz, Ellie, and Zoey about their sister falls apart. Charlie becomes privy to more than one family secret while Liz and Ellie reflect on their parents' news. Jed and Abbey talk with the girls about Abbey's health scare and their plans to keep Baby Bartlet under wraps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a longer chapter that I hope you’ll enjoy. Based on recent reader feedback, there are now dates for each chapter. This is the last chapter set on this day. The story will jump forward in time by the next chapter.
> 
> I’m bringing in Charlie earlier than the show did along with his backstory because there’s no reason not to. In this story, I’m focusing more on his relationship to the Bartlet Family through his job, and how he starts to become like the son that Jed and Abbey don’t have but find in him.
> 
> Also, Liz and Doug’s daughter Annie is around 7 years-old here. TWW messed with her age at some point and near the end of the series, she’s starting high school. 
> 
> There is also a companion story called Fever about what happened on election night 1998 that is now posted.
> 
> Thank you for reading and for your feedback. It means the world!
> 
> Enjoy.

_Tuesday, February 16, 1999_  
_Four Days After President Bartlet’s First State of the Union_  
_Evening_

  
The three Bartlet daughters had just finished laying out the fruits of their labor on the kitchen table and set it with plates and silverware, unaware of what had happened in their parents' bedroom.

"I'll go get mom and dad," Ellie volunteered.

Just as she left the kitchen and turned to walk down the hallway, she caught a glimpse of people at the end of it, seemingly coming from the direction of the Residence elevator. Her heart stopped as she recognized them as White House Medical Unit staff, heading quickly in the direction of her parents' bedroom. 

"Ellie?" Liz said, seeing her sister frozen at the edge of the doorway.

"Something's wrong," Ellie said before sprinting down the hallway. 

Liz and Zoey followed in their sister's wake. When Ellie reached the bedroom door, she expected to see her father in need of medical attention. Instead, through the open double doors, she saw her father standing at the end of the bed while two people were examining her mother on it.

“I’m fine,” Abbey said weakly. “I just fainted.”

“You passed out in my arms, Abigail,” Jed said, worry in his voice.

Zoey and Liz arrived right behind Ellie, just in time to see Abbey being fitted with a blood pressure cuff. The trio stood in silence, unnoticed by their father and the doctors. The Secret Service was standing off to one side, standing down due to the medical emergency.

“BP is a bit low,” One of the doctors said. “Ma’am, when did you last eat?”

“A few hours ago,” Abbey said as her heart was checked by the other doctor. “I stood up too quickly.”

“Any other symptoms like bleeding? Have you felt the baby move today?”

“No, I haven’t had any other symptoms and yes, she’s been quite active today.”

“Oh my god,” Ellie said, stunned as she covered her mouth with her hand.

Everyone in the room turned to see Liz, Ellie, and Zoey standing in the doorway looking shocked and terrified.

Jed’s face fell. This wasn’t the way he wanted the girls to find out. He looked at Abbey and the look in her eyes told him she felt much the same way. Crossing the room, he went over to them.

“I’m sorry,” He said quietly, genuine regret in his tone. “Give your mother and me time to talk with the doctors, okay? I’ll come find you as soon as we’re done, and we’ll talk about it. That’s what tonight was supposed to be for.”

“Okay, dad,” Liz said, her voice steady. “Let’s go back to the kitchen and go put dinner back in the oven,” She directed her sisters.

“Good idea,” Ellie agreed, even though, as a medical student, she had her fair share of questions.

Zoey stood rooted to the spot, staring past them at her mother. Her worry was palpable.

“Mom...” She said, her voice cracking.

“I’m okay, baby,” Abbey said locking eyes with her youngest. “I’ll explain everything as soon as we’re done. I promise.”

Zoey nodded and followed her sisters back toward the kitchen. But just as they reached the end of the hall, she stopped.

Ellie tried to put an arm around her sister, but Zoey shook it off.

“I need some air,” She whispered and took off towards the elevator.

“Let her go,” Liz said and put her arm around Ellie. “I think we’ll have plenty to talk about among ourselves."

“No kidding,” Ellie managed. With that, the two sisters went back to the kitchen to deal with the food that was now going cold. 

❧

Zoey found herself outside in the cold, walking under the Portico near the Oval Office a few minutes later. She shivered involuntarily and regretted not grabbing her jacket. But she couldn’t go back inside right now.

“Zoey?” Charlie called. He was standing just inside the door leading out to the Portico from the outer office of the Oval, having opened it because he saw her walk by.

Zoey looked up, “Hey Charlie,” She said with a shaky smile.

He had just been about to leave for the night since the President had gone up to the Residence. Leaving his bag inside the door, he walked out onto the Portico and closed the door. Charlie caught up with her.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were having a family dinner tonight.”

“Yeah,” Zoey mumbled as she sat down on one of the benches. “Just the five of us...that hasn’t happened since...” She trailed off as tears started falling down her cheeks.

Charlie put an arm around her out of instinct, “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

At this Zoey began to cry in earnest, “No, it won’t, Charlie. Everything is a mess...” She shivered.

Charlie took his coat off and draped it around her, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Thanks,” She sniffled pulling the coat around her. “I don’t think I should Charlie...you work for my dad and all of this is going make your job so much more complicated.”

“I understand,” He said, nodding. “But the personal stuff is sort of my job, Zoey. I already know a lot more about the President and the First Lady than I ever thought I would.”

Zoey looked at him and at the significant look on his face, she actually started to laugh, “Let me guess, you’ve caught them, you know...”

Charlie blushed a little, “I’ve caught them about to engage in some barbecuing once or twice.”

“Is that what they call it?”

“Afraid so. But then again, I’ve never seen anyone as in love as your parents are.”

“That is true,” She admitted. “It’s actually kind of annoying because my sisters and I have such a high bar set for us when it comes to who we end up with.”

“Not everyone has that though,” Charlie pointed out.

“I know they don’t,” She said as more tears escaped from her eyes. “I think that’s why all of this is so hard.”

“What is?”

Zoey swallowed, “Charlie, I shouldn’t be telling you any of this. But I suppose, out of everyone you really do need to know because you’re around them the most. Just promise me that you won’t say anything, okay? My parents told us that they never want us to lie about it if we’re asked. We just don’t talk about it. I don’t think they would want you to lie either.”

“I promise I won’t say anything and I swear I will not lie if asked”, he promised.

“About six years ago, my dad was diagnosed with a disease called relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. It’s a disease where my dad’s immune system attacks its own nervous system. There are different types of MS and my mom says it’s the good kind to have. It’s supposed to be the good kind because when it’s in remission like it is now, you wouldn’t know he has anything wrong. But it’s exacerbated by stress and mom is certain that dad is going to have some kind of attack sooner or later.”

“What happens when he has an attack?” Charlie asked quietly.

“He can get fevers, he can pass out, has sweats. It can cause him to have trouble thinking, seeing, or reading. His arms or legs might go numb. It’s so scary, Charlie.”

Charlie’s heart sank, “It sounds like it. Is there anything that can be done to treat it?”

“There’s a medication that my mom is giving him called Betaseron,” She said and saw Charlie’s shock. “I told you it’s messed up. My dad should have just come clean during the campaign. But everything happened so fast. He never thought he would be President and my mom has to be the one to keep him together now.”

“That seems like a lot to ask, especially of The First Lady.”

“Liz and Ellie told him that more than once," She said and sighed. "My mom has always been the first person to treat us for everything. My Aunt Millie does the same thing for her family. Many doctors do. But this is different and my dad knows it."

"Has the First Lady ever prescribed medication for you?" Charlie asked.

"No. She's given us stuff like antibiotics before when we've gotten sick and can't get to the doctor right away. But it's usually leftover medication from the last time one of us got sick or something like that until the actual prescription gets filled." She said letting out a breath. The thing is, I can understand how it happened. My mom has always gone to every single medical appointment we've ever had and made sure we're getting the right treatment. I actually kind of feel sorry for our doctors."

"Because the First Lady is always right."

"Exactly. She's a really good doctor, Charlie. My mom loves being one too and that's why this whole situation stinks. She doesn't deserve this, not after working so hard. When my mom and Aunt Millie were at Harvard, they were the exception, not the rule. And she had to miss so much when we were growing up because of work. I know it bothers her."

"The truth is going to have to come out sometime," Charlie said softly.

"I know," Zoey agreed. "When my parents asked me to stay down here for a while after the State of the Union because they had news, I was hoping that would be it. But it wasn't," She said wiping at her cheeks. "It's why I came out here, to begin with. I was making dinner with Liz and Ellie while my parents were in their room. When Ellie went to go tell them it was ready, there were doctors coming up from the medical unit."

"For the President?"

Zoey shook her head, "No, for my mom," She said as a fresh wave of tears came.

Talking about her father's MS was always difficult for Zoey. She could still remember the attack that sent him into the hospital and led to his diagnosis. She thought he really was going to die. Seeing her mother lying on the bed with doctors around her shook her badly. Other than having an occasional cold or flu, she had never seen her mother sick. It scared the hell out of her because, for the first time in her 18 years, Zoey Bartlet was reminded that both of her parents wouldn't always be there. Zoey turned to look at Charlie and saw a deep sadness in his eyes. At that moment, she realized her mistake.

“Charlie, I’m so sorry,” She said quickly. “I didn’t think...”

Charlie didn’t say anything at first. He swallowed hard, “Is the First Lady all right?”

“She said she is. My mom doesn’t lie about stuff like that. So, I believe her.”

“That’s good,” Charlie replied releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“I think my parents are having a baby, Charlie,” She whispered.

Charlie blinked and looked at Zoey for a second as that revelation sunk in. But then a slow smile spread across his face. 

“You’re the youngest, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Not anymore. You better start getting ready, Zoey. Being a big sister is no joke.”

Now it was Zoey’s turn to smile, “Got any advice for me, big brother?”

“Tell him or her that you love them, no matter what. Even when you’re so mad you can’t stand it.”

“That’s pretty good advice,” Zoey admitted.

“I should probably see if the President needs anything before I head home,” He said. “Do you mind if I escort you to the Residence?”

“Not at all, Charlie,” She said as she rose and returned his jacket. “Thanks for letting me use your jacket and for the talk. My dad’s lucky to have you.”

Together, Zoey and Charlie walked back under the Portico back to the Residence. Despite everything she had to deal with, the one thing Zoey didn’t regret was her friendship with Charlie.

❧

Liz and Ellie sat at the kitchen table after putting the food back in the oven. The bottle of wine that they had set out for dinner sat open between them on the table with generous portions filling each glass.

“Of all the things listed on my family news bingo card, having a new baby sister wasn’t one,” Liz said, taking a sip of her wine. “I can’t believe there’s going to be another one of us.”

Ellie took a sip from her own glass and her lip curled just slightly, “Well at least we know why mom and dad haven’t mentioned getting another dog lately.”

“They’re going to have their hands full. I can’t believe it took me this long to see it. Mom seemed…I don’t know, distracted, on inauguration night.”

“I agree. I thought something was up too. But my first instinct was to think of dad,” She said and thought about it, “After everything they went through during the campaign, it’s just hard to believe they would be—“

“So irresponsible?” Liz supplied with a wry smile. “I can’t help but think about how dad reacted to my pregnancy with Annie and now the shoe is on the other foot, so to speak.”

Their parents had been extremely supportive when Liz became pregnant with Annie, for the most part. But Jed had reacted badly upon hearing the news and lectured Liz and Doug about being responsible. Abbey had been furious at him for what he said, and he later apologized. The memory was still there though and, today, it seemed particularly ironic.

Ellie nearly snorted at the memory, "Today's not the day to remind him. But if we make it through this, dad could do with a little reminder..."

Liz shook her head, "This poor kid isn't going to know what hit her. I can barely keep up with Annie as it is. I don't see how mom and dad are going to make this work without a lot of help."

"They did it with us. Mom had some of the worst on-call schedules, and she was almost always there in the morning and at night."

"I know mom will make it work, no matter what she has to do. Dad, on the other hand...."

"You don't think he'd have a bassinet in the Oval Office?" Ellie asked, looking amused.

"No way...."

"Mrs. Landingham might disagree with you on that. She says we made appearances at the State House from time to time when we were babies."

"How did I not know that?"

Ellie shrugged, "Maybe it's because I've always been Mrs. Landingham's favorite."

"Brown noser," Liz said, though it was clear by the smile on her face that she said it good-naturedly. “Maybe you are right, though. Mom always said that dad was never shy about getting up with us in the middle of the night when we were little. They were equals when it came to raising us.”

“Exactly. So, why would it be any different with this baby? If anything, mom and dad are going to be even more protective of her,” She said as a little smile flitted across her face. “We’re going to have a baby sister, Lizzy...”

“Dad is going to be so hopelessly outnumbered,” She mused. 

“He would probably never admit it. But I think he likes it that way,” Ellie replied, thinking back on their childhoods.

They had been dominated largely by politics and medicine as their parents ascended in their careers. And yet, none of the Bartlet girls could ever say that they felt unloved or ignored, even when their parents had to miss out on important things. Even that was a fairly rare occurrence since one parent usually made it to most events or appointments.

“I can’t disagree. He probably wouldn’t know what to do with a son. “

“Didn’t he say that learning to do our hair was harder than defending his doctoral thesis?” 

Liz laughed, “I almost forgot about that. Shame we had to be his guinea pigs. Zoey got the better part of those days. Dad better hope that hasn’t lost his touch too much. The only chance he’ll ever have for boys in this family are grandsons.”

“Which means mom and dad will be looking at you. I’m not anywhere near ready to date, let alone have kids.”

“In the face of this news, it’s safe to say that Doug and I will be postponing another baby.”

“So, in other words, you’ve been thinking about it?” Ellie asked with a raised eyebrow. She took another sip of her wine.

“Well, yes. Annie’s older and if we’re going to have another baby, now would be the time since the campaign is over. But we need to rally around mom. She’s going to need us to, just to get through this pregnancy.”

“I agree. Of course, that means we’ll probably all have to do our fair share of First Daughter duties.”

“Are you okay with that?” Liz asked.

Just thinking about being more in the public eye made Ellie feel uncomfortable. Balancing it with school was a whole other issue. But since it would be for their mother, Ellie was willing to try her best.

“No, but I’ll manage. After all, how many babies have been born to a sitting president? I think I remember something about Grover Cleveland having a child in office from history class.”

“There’s also the Kennedys,” Liz added and then took another sip of her wine.

Ellie sighed, “We’re really going to have our work cut out for us,” She said, putting the cork back into the bottle. “As much as I dislike public life, I want to keep that particular bit of history where it belongs. If we do our jobs right, no one is going to care what we did once baby sister arrives.”

Liz bit her lip, “I wonder if mom and dad have thought about that. The press is going to go insane. It’ll be like when Charles and Diana had Prince Willam and Prince Harry.”

“Worse than that. We might be a democracy, but you can’t deny America doesn’t love its pageantry. Look at the State of the Union and the inauguration. Those events happen every year or every four. This is the third time in history, Lizzy. Imagine that.”

As seasoned as the elder Bartlets were when it came to political campaigns and being in public, each of them had separate, private lives now and growing up. Their parents would try to do the same for this child too. But managing interest, historical significance, and their sister’s need for them for the first few years would be a challenge. 

❧

When Charlie and Zoey arrived back in the Residence, the two headed in different directions. She headed to the kitchen to find her sisters, and he went in search of the President. As Charlie headed towards the President's bedroom, he passed what appeared to be the physicians from the White House Medical Unit in the hall. The double doors were closed when he approached them. He knocked softly. A few moments later, his boss opened the door.

"Charlie, what are you still doing here? You should be home by now."

"Yes, sir. I was about to leave when I ran into Zoey. She needed someone to talk to, so I stayed."

Jed softened, "Thank you, Charlie. You didn't need to do that."

"It was the least I could do, sir. Zoey was really worried about the First Lady," Charlie replied, his own concern creeping into his tone.

The other door opened and Abbey appeared beside her husband.

"I'll be just fine, Charlie," She said smiling at him. "But thank you for taking care of Zoey."

Abbey felt much better than she had just a half-hour before. Her fainting spell had been the result of relaxed blood vessels and waiting slightly too long to eat. While it had scared Jed, the girls, and it appeared, Charlie, the incident was nothing to be too concerned about. 

"I was happy to help," Charlie replied, looking relieved. "Congratulations, Ma'am, Mr. President" He added, looking at them each in turn.

"Thank you, Charlie," Abbey said, obviously touched.

"I trust you'll help us keep this news under wraps?"

"Yes, sir," Charlie assured him. "As far as I'm concerned, I don't know anything until I'm officially supposed to."

Jed smiled, "Good man. Now, don't let us keep you."

"Goodnight sir, ma'am," He smiled and headed back down the hallway, bound for home and his sister.

❧

When Abbey and Jed finally made their way into the kitchen, they found their children sitting together at the table talking among themselves. Out of consideration for their mother, Ellie and Liz had put away the wine they'd been enjoying just before Zoey returned. They turned to face their parents when they came in.

Zoey stood up first, "Mom, are you okay?" She asked.

Abbey's heart constricted when she saw that Zoey's eyes were still a little red from crying, "Yes, baby, I'm feeling a lot better. It looked much worse than it actually was,” She said hugging her daughter.

“What happened?”

“I fainted, but I’m okay now. The doctors simply said that I needed to take it easy and eat a little more frequently.”

“It’s common when you’re pregnant, Zoey,” Liz added. “I fainted a few times when I was pregnant with Annie. As long as you don’t hurt yourself in the process, it’s not dangerous for mom or the baby.”

“Your mother didn’t faint with any of you,” Jed pointed out.

“Actually, I came close to passing out a few times,” Abbey replied. “You just weren’t with me because it usually happened when I was at work.”

“You never told me about it.”

“Because I didn’t want to worry you.” Before Jed could argue the point, he saw Abbey’s eyes light up. “Zoey, give me your hand,” She said softly.

Zoey did and Abbey lifted her sweater up a little before she placed her daughter’s palm on her lower abdomen. The younger Bartlet waited and within a few seconds, she felt a faint fluttering sensation.

“Is that….?”

“Your baby sister,” Abbey confirmed with a small smile. “She’s trying to say hello to you, Zoey.”

Zoey started to laugh, “Really?” She said and looked back at her sisters. “It’s like butterflies or something.”

“Best feeling in the world,” Liz said, feeling herself get a little bit emotional.

Ellie ribbed her gently, “Don’t start. You’ll get me going, too.”

“The baby’s been waiting all day for us to tell you about her. “

“Maybe she became as impatient as her big sister, Nancy Drew over here,” Jed said giving, said Zoey a knowing look.

“Busted,” Liz and Ellie chorused. 

Everyone laughed, which helped lighten the mood and started putting the scare from earlier behind them, for now. The girls proceeded to get the dinner they prepared earlier out and soon the family was gathered around the table, enjoying their first meal together as a family of five, soon to be six, together in a long time.

“How are you feeling, mom?” Ellie asked.

“So far, I’m feeling good, all things considered. Feeling tired is my most significant issue. But I’m making adjustments as I need to.”

“Ellie and I are ready to help with whatever you need us to do,” Liz said. “Big or small.”

“I’m happy to hear that. Your father and I have already talked about how important it is for both of us to take care of ourselves,” She said, glancing over at her husband. “Part of that involves keeping your sister a secret for as long as possible. It won’t be easy, but the last thing we need is a media circus. So having your help and the assistance of the senior staff will be invaluable.”

Jed appraised his middle daughter thoughtfully, “Eleanor, are you actually volunteering to put yourself in the limelight?”

“As much as I hate it, yes daddy, I am,” Ellie said. “If everything goes well, this might be the only time the baby gets to herself until you leave this place. What kind of big sister would I be if I didn’t step in to help?”

“You’re already a pretty good one,” Zoey said. “I might need some pointers.”

Jed took that as his cue to go get the necklaces he had made for his girls. He left the kitchen and returned soon after with the bag. He sat down and set it on the table, removing four black jewelry boxes, and then handed one of each of them.

Abbey opened hers, and she found a necklace of six gold stars set in a circle, each representing a member of their family. She reached over and grasped her husband’s hand under the table, squeezing it tightly, “I love it,” she said and leaned over, giving him a kiss.

“Oh dad,” Ellie said, moved as she looked at her necklace with four golden stars in a square formation. “It’s beautiful.”

Liz opened hers to find gold three stars in a triangle shape and then looked over at Ellie’s, “They’re all unique,” She noted with a touched smile of her own.

Zoey opened hers to find her necklace in a pentagon shape with five gold stars, “Aww, thanks, dad. It’s really sweet.”

“Why thank you, Zoey. I’m glad to know my taste in jewelry didn’t miss the mark,” Jed replied smiling over at her.

Abbey held out her necklace box for the girls to see the circular gold star necklace. They all looked over at it.

“You did good dad,” Liz said agreed. “I take it you’re not disappointed that you’ll have four daughters?”

“No,” Jed replied shaking his head. “I could never be disappointed, not when your mother and I have been so fortunate," He said feeling emotion well up in his chest. He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the same ultrasound photo he had shown Leo earlier that day and passed it to his oldest daughter, “How could I be in the face of this?”

Liz took it and looked at the photo, “She’s awfully cute,” she said before handing the photo to Ellie beside her.

Ellie looked at it, “I think you’re going to have your work cut out for you,” she said looking up at her parents with a small smile.

Zoey looked over at the photo and was struck by how tiny her sister looked, “She’s not going to like having to share you with the rest of the country.”

“That’s true. But we’ll figure it out,” Abbey said squeezing Jed’s hand again. 

The Bartlets spent the rest of that rare first family dinner in forever talking about plans for the next six months or longer. Liz, Ellie, and Zoey were no strangers to helping their parents navigate through the complexities of politics and their personal lives after the MS diagnosis and keeping it hidden.

But this secret couldn't be kept forever. One way or another, the world would find out about it. While the girls weren't strangers to the public eye, their lives were largely their own outside of campaigns and other events. The same was true even now that their father was the President of the United States. At their parents' request, the media left them alone unless they were at public events.

Their sister really wouldn't have the same rights to privacy in the White House, unless their parents left her with a nanny all the time. Liz suspected that wouldn't be happening. After having Annie, it was Abbey who had helped her navigate those early months as a new mom, and who had shared her own struggles as a mom so openly. Until then, she had never realized that their parents hardly left them in the care of anyone except family when they were small if they couldn’t be there.

Even though they all had their fair share of issues surrounding their family and growing up in politics, they loved each other fiercely. It was that love that would drive each sister to upend her life for a while to give their baby sister the only true privacy she would have for three years or more.


	4. Parental Anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abbey and Jed meet with their medical team to discuss Baby Bartlet and are forced to confront their anxieties surrounding their daughter after she gets fiesty. The West Wing staff are put on notice that the newest Bartlet might show up sooner rather than later. Millie and Ellie talk over lunch about being raised a Bartlet and how she's more like her parents than she might realize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> July 1999 started out as a reference in this part of the story. I decided to pick up here because it starts to shape Abbey and Jed as parents to a child after raising their older kids and influences the choices they make. The end is also a bit emotional, fair warning.
> 
> Enjoy!

_Friday, July 2, 1999_  
_5 Weeks Before Baby Bartlet’s Due Date_  
_Morning_

Midwife Sheila Mason entered the White House Medical Unit on Friday morning to prepare for her appointment with Abbey, which usually consisted of a quick informal report from her primary physician. Until now, Abbey met with her primary doctor and midwife once a week. Starting the next week, they would see Abbey starting every day and their monthly case conferences would now be held weekly until the baby was born. Today would be the first case conference for the week.

“Hi Sheila,” Dr. Marisa Green, the First Lady’s primary doctor said.

“Hi Marisa,” Sheila replied. “How is the First Lady this morning?”

“She’s doing well. I saw her very briefly this morning, and she had just come out of arguing over 1st-year resident assignments with a colleague when I went in.”

Sheila smiled, “Ah, so she’s in a good mood.”

“I’d say so. She might not be after she sees you though.”

“I know. I usually look forward to our appointments. But today’s joint visit with Dr. Williamson isn’t high up on my list.”

“I don’t envy you there.”

Dr. Harold Williamson was one of the nation’s top obstetricians with a specialty in high-risk pregnancy. As it happened, he worked at GW, so Abbey saw him from time to time after joining the faculty as a professor of Cardiothoracic medicine. While his expertise was unparalleled, his bedside manner left something to be desired. Sheila didn’t particularly care for him either. He tended to be very by the numbers, rather than looking at his patients as individuals. The fact that she did look at her mothers as whole people, and that she also had extensive experience working with older mothers led Abbey to choose her to lead her medical team beside Marisa Green.

“It’s not shaping up to be a pleasant conversation. The baby’s growth pattern hadn’t changed as of last week. Since she’s still growing, I’m not overly concerned about it. Everything I see tells me that she’s going to be a tiny little thing. But Williamson wants to see more progress.”

“The First Lady is also in excellent health. Her blood pressure is better than the President’s.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” Sheila said with a knowing smile.

Two hours later, Abbey and Jed sat together at one end of the table in the conference room housed within the White House Medical Unit. Their hands were clasped together tightly as they waited for Abbey’s medical team, which consisted of a nurse-midwife, an obstetrician, a neonatologist, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and Abbey’s personal physician to come in, for what was usually a routine conference. Except for her midwife and personal physician, they hadn’t needed treatment from any doctor yet. Abbey hoped that today wouldn’t change that.

The door opened and the five-member team filed in. Abbey could tell by the looks on their faces that there had been strong disagreement among them. They all sat down at the opposite end of the table.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Sheila said as they sat down. “Our discussion took longer than anticipated.”

“Did you come to a conclusion?” Jed asked.

“There’s nothing conclusive pointing to whether the baby is experiencing restricted growth in utero or not,” she said.

“I disagree,” Dr. Williamson said. “The growth rate has slowed, in the last several weeks. “Today’s ultrasound confirmed the fetus is measuring at 16 inches and is 3.5LBs. This is well outside the average for the gestational age.”

Abbey squeezed Jed’s hand reflexively in response. She hated how the doctor was characterizing their daughter. Babies were human beings, not statistics.

“That is true,” Dr. Leigh, the maternal-fetal medicine specialist said. “But I can’t make a definitive diagnosis of restricted growth. There’s nothing to suggest anything is wrong. Dr. Bartlet’s labs were excellent as well.”

“So what’s next?” Abbey asked, trying not to sound impatient. “Everything I am hearing suggests nothing has changed materially from our last case conference. You’re waiting to see if anything changes.”

“If it were my call, I would deliver you today, Dr. Bartlet,” Williamson said. “I recognize that you may not agree with that choice. But you asked me to join this team to help safeguard the health of your child. In my view, there is a greater risk of waiting.”

The baby kicked Abbey sharply. For a brief second, she thought it was something else. But then another kick came followed by another. Abbey squeezed Jed’s hand tighter, trying not to wince. Obviously, the baby sensed the tension in the room.

“What’s the matter?” He asked, whispering the question in her ear. Abbey shook her head, indicating that now was not the moment.

“There’s also a risk in delivering the baby now,” Dr. Smith, the neonatologist said. “Every single day a baby remains in the womb is one less day they will be in the NICU. Baby Bartlet is small for her gestational age. From what I see, this may just be what is normal for her. She is still continuing to grow and if she can gain at least another pound before her due date, I’d be satisfied. But let’s monitor the situation.”

“I concur,” Abbey said, trying to keep herself relaxed. “I would rather keep her where she is.”

“You should at least have an amnio then,” Williamson said. “To rule out any abnormalities.”

“No, thank you,” Abbey replied. “My position on having anything invasive done hasn’t changed.”

“All right ladies and gentlemen, let’s close this meeting for today,” Dr. Green said. “We’ll set up another meeting for next week.”

The doctors stood up and disbanded. They left the room. Marisa and Sheila stayed behind, having caught Jed’s look of concern for his wife.

“Abbey,” Jed said, turning to her now. “What is it?”

“She’s not happy,” Abbey breathed, wincing at the sensation. It caught her off-guard because this baby wasn’t a kicker. She liked to stretch and sometimes press her little hands and feet against her mother’s stomach. But it was never painful. Other than feeling more tired than usual and worrying about the baby’s weight, this had been Abbey’s easiest pregnancy, until now.

Sheila crossed the room and took a seat in the chair on Abbey’s other side.

“What are you feeling?”

“Hard, sharp kicks…” Abbey replied and touched her stomach, “It’s okay sweetheart, you’re safe,” She soothed, feeling another sharp kick.

Jed placed his other hand alongside Abbey’s and felt it too. “Hey…go easy on your mommy, missy,” He said gently to the child who he was convinced knew his voice.

“Do you feel like you’re having contractions?” Sheila asked calmly.

“No,” Abbey said, shaking her head.

“Okay, let’s wait a few minutes and see if baby girl starts to relax. It sounds like she’s just responding to stress.”

A combination of time and her parents’ touch calmed Baby Bartlet. The pain she caused stopped within those minutes, and Jed and Abbey were visibly more relaxed.

“If I took your blood pressure right now, it would be high,” Marisa Green said, looking at her patient and then her colleague, whom she had come to sit beside.

“I don’t disagree,” Sheila said. “So, here’s what I need you to do, Abbey. You’re going to spend the rest of today in bed. Catch up on some fun reading, take a nap, eat whatever you want. I’ll come by later this afternoon and tonight to check on you.”

“Okay, I won’t argue with that,” Abbey agreed even though part of her wanted to. The other part knew she probably needed time with her daughter as well as to rest.

Jed looked at his wife, thankful that she was so calm, especially in a situation like this. But as they prepared to leave, he couldn’t help but feel a gnawing sense of fear. It wasn’t like they hadn’t discussed the possibility of pre-term birth. Abbey was at risk for it, simply because of her age. Her overall health and their relatively positive family medical histories helped balance that out. But still. The thought of his daughter being born when she wasn’t ready and having to deal with complications because of that, made his heart hurt.

“I’ll be right back,” Jed said to his wife. He slipped away before she had a chance to ask where he was going.

Jed found Dr. Williamson standing in the hall just outside the conference room.

“Dr. Williamson, we need to talk for a moment,” Jed said smoothly. The other members of the medical team slipped away.

“Of course, Mr. President. Is there a question I can answer for you?”

“I’m sure you’re already aware of this, but did you know that babies can sense stress in the womb?”

Williamson cleared his throat, “Some studies have found that to be the case. I have yet to find the evidence presented to be compelling enough.”

“While you were making your case for bringing my daughter into the world today, she started kicking her mother very hard. It took a good several minutes to calm her down.”

“There could be—“

“Though she may be tiny, she is mighty, doctor,” Jed said cutting him off. “My daughter is not a data point or an abstraction. She is a human child, who seems to be very content with where she is. Remember that for our next case conference, won’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

The President of the United States and soon-to-be father of four strong, independent daughters turned on his heel and walked back into the conference room, putting the conversation behind him. It alleviated some of his unease, being able to defend his wife and child. Now, he could only hope that his daughter would prove him right and stay where she was until her due date.

❧

An hour later, Leo gathered with CJ, Toby, Sam, and Josh in his office after talking with the President, who was currently up in the Residence with his wife.

“The President wants to pull out of the event tonight.”

“We’ve been working on this speech for three months. He’s gone through 12 drafts,” Toby grumbled.

“This speech is crucial to getting the votes we need for the infrastructure bill in the House,” Josh added.

“Is there something in the speech that the President objects to?” Sam asked.

“You said, he wants to pull out,” CJ said. “But he hasn’t, so the decision isn’t final.”

“The First Lady was put on bed rest for the remainder of today,” Leo said. “He’s up in the Residence with her right now.”

The mood in the room changed almost instantly. All the senior staff seemed to fall silent, mostly out of surprise, but also out of concern. This was the first time they had heard of a possible medical issue. Until now, everything surrounding Baby Bartlet usually involved keeping her a secret.

“They were having a case conference this morning,” CJ said quietly. “Is it bad news?”

“More of the same actually,” Leo said. “Only this time Baby Bartlet got feisty after one of the doctors told the President and First Lady he wanted to deliver her today. Out of an abundance of caution, the First Lady’s midwife told her to sit out the rest of the day. As I was hanging up the phone with the President, there was a very distinct comment from the First Lady about not needing to be hovered over.”

“So we’re in a holding pattern,” Josh concluded.

“For now. I don’t think it’ll stay that way. But we need to be prepared either way for the event, and this is a good reminder that if there’s anything not already on the priority list before next month, let’s get it out now. And while we’re at it, we need to start putting together contingency plans just in case the baby comes early.”

“Okay, we’ll start strategizing,” CJ said looking at the rest of her colleagues.

The staff disbanded and Josh headed back to his office, now feeling that much more pressure, knowing that this kid could actually show up at any time now. Donna Moss fell into step beside Josh as he walked back down the hall.

“What did Leo want to tell you?” She asked.

“The President might not go to the thing tonight,” Josh said distractedly.

“Isn’t he giving the speech that took 12 drafts?”

“Yes. But now I’ve got to start thinking about anything that needs to happen before the media blackout for Baby Bartlet’s birth. Dr. Bartlet is on bed rest for the day.”

“Oh no. Is she okay?”

“Sounds like it. Apparently, she doesn’t want the President hovering.”

Donna smiled, “Hey, do you mind if I head out for a little while?”

“Where are you headed?”

“To pick up something for Dr. B.”

“Sure. Pick up lunch for me while you’re out?”

“You got it.”

Josh handed her a few bills from his wallet. Donna split off and went back to her desk to grab her purse before heading off.

❧

Millie stood on the terrace of River’s End, a restaurant that overlooked the Potomac River, not far from the table, she was sharing with Ellie, who had excused herself to use the restroom during their lunch. While she waited for Ellie to return, she received a call from none other than the President himself, although, at the moment, he was clearly in worried father mode.

“Can you come to see Abbey tonight?” He asked, his tone calm, but with an edge of worry in it.

“You just told me that Sheila Mason is planning to come by twice today, Jed. I’ll come to see Abbey tomorrow, as her friend. I’m not about to step on Sheila’s toes. This really is her area of expertise.”

“I’m aware, Millie. I would just feel better if you saw Abbey yourself.”

“Does Abbey even know you’re calling me?”

“She’s taking a bath,” He admitted grudgingly. “I’m calling from the study.”

“You better tell her that you called me,” Millie advised. “This is her body and the baby is her domain for now.”

“I will. Just promise me you’ll be here.”

“I’ll be there tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” He said, sounding relieved.

“Take care of yourself.”

Millie hung up her phone and returned to the table, depositing it in her bag just as Ellie returned.

“Millie, what’s wrong?” Ellie asked as she sat down. Before she left the table, they’d been discussing the tour Ellie had taken at Walter Reed earlier in the day.

“Nothing,” She assured her goddaughter. “I’m just trying to stay above the fray where your parents are concerned.”

Ellie’s expression changed as she remembered what today was, “Did you get an update about the case conference? Is there something wrong with the baby?”

“The doctors still haven’t found anything that conclusively proves your sister is growth-restricted. An amnio is the only other thing that might prove something either way but your mother refused. Most of the medical team wants to wait and see since your sister seems healthy and is still growing.”

“Except Dr. Williamson,” Ellie said knowingly. “I don’t know why mom bothers to have him on the team when they have such an obvious conflict with each other.”

Millie smiled, “One thing you’ll learn as you progress in your career is that you will come to value the expertise of other colleagues, even if you don’t always agree. Harold Williamson is risk-averse whereas your mother isn’t so much. He’s on the team because he knows of what he speaks and if he had to, he would deliver your sister quicker than anyone else. But it would seem that he upset your sister.”

“Really?”

“Apparently, she started to kick your mother very forcefully. The midwife put them both on bed rest for the day. I was just talking to your dad. He wanted me to go see your mom today. But I’ll let Midwife Sheila do her job and go tomorrow as a friend.”

Ellie shook her head and laughed, “Dad knows this isn’t your specialty.”

“It doesn’t matter. Your parents trust me implicitly, which I appreciate, just so long as I don’t end up in the middle of them.”

“The stress can’t be good for mom or dad, much less the baby. They’ve been so positive every time I’ve talked to them on the phone in the last few weeks. Zoey and Liz have said the same thing. We all know they’re putting on a front.”

“Because they are your parents, Eleanor. Abbey and Jed Bartlet have been worried, overprotective parents from the time Liz came into the world. The only reason you see it more clearly now is that you’re all older, and they can’t hide their worry with this baby as much.”

“I still don’t understand why they did it,” Ellie said softly. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to being a big sister again. But after everything they went through with dad and the campaign, bringing another one of us into this seems insane.”

“Well to be fair, your parents didn’t get to be where they are today by being shrinking violets,” Millie pointed out. “There is also never a perfect time to have a child, Ellie. That didn’t stop them from trying to find one though.”

“What do you mean?”

“Honey, your parents have wanted another baby since Zoey was born. They tried a few times, but time has never been on their side, not even with adoption.”

Ellie’s mouth fell open, “Mom and dad considered adopting?”

“Yes,” Millie said, her eyes looking wistful at the mention of it, as she remembered how disappointed her friends had been. “In the months before your dad was diagnosed, they started looking into domestic adoption in New Hampshire for an older child.”

“Why didn’t we know about it?”

“Because it was still in the exploratory phase,” She said and paused. “Your parents weren’t sure how the logistics would work, especially given that your dad was the Governor at that time.”

“It would be a lot for a kid,” Ellie conceded. “With the diagnosis on top of that, it would make things even more difficult for a child to come into our family, not to mention their history.”

“That’s ultimately why they stopped pursuing it,” Millie confirmed. “As we now know, those feelings never truly went away, and look what happened. You have really stepped up, Ellie. For your sister and yourself. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, Millie. Mom and dad, but especially mom, deserve this. I know that I’ve never made it easy for them.”

“Having children is never easy, Ellie. You are who you are for a reason and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Dad might disagree with that. You know he’s never understood how I shun the spotlight.”

“True. On the other hand, you also had trouble understanding why your parents are comfortable in the limelight.”

Ellie nodded. She couldn’t deny her godmother’s observation. But in the last few months, she started to see her parents in a new light. They always struck her as these charming, self-assured people who couldn’t be phased by anything. It wasn’t true, though. For the first time, Ellie Bartlet began to see herself reflected in them. Having another baby brought the anxieties and uncertainties Jed and Abbey normally hid so well to the surface.

“I guess I’m not the black sheep of the family after all,” She admitted.

“No, Ellie. I’m afraid you’re just as complex and nuanced as the rest of your family.”

The two women laughed and continued to enjoy their lunch together. Despite her misgivings about being a more visible part of the First Family, Ellie understood now that they all made some sort of sacrifice to do this, willingly and unwillingly.

❧

Abbey was supposed to be resting. Midwife Shelia just left, satisfied that mother and child were stable. Abbey’s blood pressure was within range. They all heard the baby’s thrumming heartbeat, quick and well within normal limits, but the anxiety still hung in the air. It came from her husband’s side of the bed.

“You don’t have to sit with me,” Abbey said, setting down the book she was attempting to read on her nightstand.

“I’m not leaving you alone, Abigail,” Jed replied, putting an emphasis on her full name. He set aside his briefing book and looked at her. “You can’t convince me otherwise.”

“Don’t you have to work?”

“I rearranged my schedule. Josh and Leo are taking a couple of meetings. We’ll reassess in about an hour.”

“Having you hover over me like this isn’t exactly restful.”

“I am not hovering,” He protested.

“Well, what would you call this?” Abbey asked. “I know I should be grateful you’re taking it easy. But I know you don’t actually feel relaxed. Your anxiety is palpable.”

“Can you blame me? You could have gone into preterm labor, which I’m certain, would have given Harold Williamson a lot of satisfaction.”

“He was just doing his job, Jed. Williamson is an excellent doctor, despite his flaws. What he said today didn’t exactly come across in the best way, but it’s why I want him on my team.”

“He stressed out the baby to the point that she caused you pain, Abbey. I saw the look of fear on your face. Don’t tell me that it didn’t cross your mind that you were going into labor.”

Abbey didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. Jed saw her hands rest protectively on the swell of her stomach, now clad in silk pajamas. The bath she had taken earlier had relaxed their daughter, and now she seemed to be resting.

“Let’s not go 15 rounds over this, daddy,” Abbey said quietly. “I’m already feeling enough guilt as it is.”

Jed frowned, “Babe, why would you ever feel guilty?”

“In my head, I believe what the team is saying about the baby’s growth. She could just be a small child, period. It still doesn’t stop me from thinking that I’m not enough for our daughter. What if I’m incapable of giving her what she needs?”

Jed took her into his arms and held her tight, “Abbey, you’re not incapable,” he soothed. “You are the most capable and determined person I’ve ever known.”

The tears came before Abbey could stop them. As a physician, she was trained to absorb all kinds of horrors and difficult situations, to compartmentalize them so that she could focus on what needed to be done. That training had gotten her through these last few weeks since this potential growth issue first came up. Now, the worry she had worked so hard to suppress was coming out in full force. Jed continued to hold his wife. He didn’t say anything, now feeling guilty for bringing up this morning again.

“It’s the hormones,” She sniffled after the worst of the crying subsided, and she grabbed a tissue from the nightstand to wipe her eyes. “I know I’m being irrational.”

“We’re about to be parents again, sweet knees. None of what you said just now is irrational. I’m just as scared as you are. But you know what keeps me going?” Jed asked, kissing her cheek.

“What?”

“It’s all going to be worth it when we have baby girl in our arms.”

“I love you,” Abbey whispered.

“I love you, too,” Jed replied before leaning in to kiss her.

Abbey’s lips met her husband’s and, for the first time all day, the stress of the day faded into the background. It was a passionate kiss, full of love, of trust, and of joy. Even in the midst of this uncertainty, nothing could take away their love for each other or sever the bond between them created so many years ago. The proof of their love stretched slowly inside her mother’s womb. They parted briefly and smiled at each other, completely and totally in love.

Jed bent down to Abbey’s stomach and moved the silk fabric of her pajamas aside.

“We love you too, missy,” He said softly before kissing the soft skin tenderly several times. His lips met a little bump on the last kiss. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. There was no mistaking the hand that reached out to him. The “I love you” in that gesture was implied.

Abbey’s eyes were welling up with tears by the time Jed straightened up and looked at her.

“We’re never going to be the same again,” She said, voicing the thought her husband had but was unable to articulate right at that moment.

Truer words had never been spoken. With the birth of each of their children, Abbey and Jed never imagined how their love could expand and change. They knew the same would be true for this child or so it seemed. In truth, they were wholly unprepared for the love they were about to receive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! The next chapter will be up soon!


	5. Staffing Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donna does something kind and thoughtful for Abbey, which leads them to have an unexpected conversation .Leo and Josh argue about a piece of legislation that might fail due to the President's absence. Donna reveals unexpected news to Josh, and Jed prepares for the arrival of his familiar TV show in-laws.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter continues exploring early July 1999 and introduces the role Donna will play in the Bartlets lives. It’s a definite departure from TWW, in the best way possible, hopefully.
> 
> Enjoy!

_Friday, July 2, 1999_  
_5 weeks before Baby Bartlet’s Due Date_  
_Afternoon_

When Donna walked into the West Wing 45 minutes later, she was greeted by the sound of Josh’s voice sounding frustrated.

“Leo,” He said, trying to keep his voice low so as not to be heard by their meeting. “We need the President down here. If we don’t get him, we’re going to lose the comms bill, too. “

“Josh,” Leo said firmly. “The President is unavailable. We need to handle this.”

Donna followed the sound of their voices to just outside the Roosevelt Room where she saw Leo and Josh together in conversation. She could see the tension in their body language.

“We can’t afford to take two hits on the legislative agenda. You were the one who told us to look at the priority list. This bill qualifies as one.”

“I realize that. But the President is otherwise occupied at the moment, Josh. I’m not about to interrupt him when he specifically asked not to be disturbed right now.”

“Here’s your lunch,” Donna said, stepping forward to hand Josh a brown paper bag containing a sandwich from his favorite deli.

“Thanks,” Josh replied, momentarily taking his attention off Leo and turning it to Donna. He took the bag from her.

“Leo, I was going to take something up to the First Lady,” she said indicating the shopping bag in her hand. “Do you mind if I head up to the Residence?”

“No, Donna, go ahead.”

Donna started to walk away, “You might want to mention the comms bill,” Josh said in her direction.

“Josh!” Leo said sternly.

Donna rolled her eyes as she headed off to the Residence. She wasn’t about to mention anything about a bill to the President after the morning he had. The Residence was quiet when she arrived and, it was crawling with Secret Service. Security around this part of the building increased recently ahead of Baby Bartlet’s arrival. The agents currently assigned to the President and First Lady were now working alongside what would be Lightning Bug’s detail.

For a minute, she thought about turning back to go downstairs. The President and First Lady rarely got time alone or, so it seemed. She didn’t want to be yet another person bothering them. The contents of the shopping bag in her hand, propelled her forward. She approached the door to the Master Suite and knocked softly.

When the door opened, the President looked mildly annoyed, but his expression changed when he realized Donna stood on the other side.

“Donnatella,” He said brightly. “To what do I owe your appearance at my door?”

“I brought Dr. Bartlet a few things to help lift her spirits,” She replied, indicating the bag in her hand.

He smiled and stepped aside before gesturing her in, “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

Donna stepped inside and saw the First Lady sitting up in bed, having clearly just woken up from a nap.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

The First Lady waved it off, “We were just getting up, Donna.”

“How’s the mood downstairs?” The President asked casually. Despite not wanting to leave Abbey’s side, he knew disrupting his entire day would have consequences.

“Leo’s keeping the temperature down.”

“You can go down,” she offered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m not leaving you alone,” he said and then looked at Donna, an idea percolating in his mind. “Donna, would you mind keeping my wife company?”

“Jed, for goodness’ sake! ” The First Lady exclaimed. “You cannot purloin Donna for your own ends.”

Donna bit her lip to keep from laughing, “I don’t mind, Mr. President,” she said. “But I do have a desk, I need to get back to.”

“Right. Well, I can do something about that. I’ll just tell Leo to send someone to cover for you and if Josh has a problem with it, he can come to me.”

The President looked pleased with himself. Donna wasn’t about to argue with him. It didn’t take an experienced political operative to understand that her boss was attempting to regain his equilibrium after a difficult few hours.

“We all serve at the pleasure of the President, sir, ” she replied giving him an understanding smile.

“Finally, someone who gets it!”

The First Lady shook her head. But even she looked more amused than annoyed now, “All right, I give in. I could use the company. So long as Donna isn’t missed downstairs.”

“I’ll take care of that,” he replied, radiating confidence now. The two women watched as he went and retrieved his briefing book from the nightstand with a pep in his step. Then he leaned over and gave his wife a quick kiss, “Get some rest,” He said quietly to her before looking down toward their daughter, “Behave yourself, little one.”

Donna’s eyes followed the President as he retrieved his jacket from the chair by the door and put it on. He thanked Donna once more before leaving the room. The First Lady let out an audible sigh of relief.

“Is he always that bossy?” Donna asked.

“Only with a captive audience,” The First Lady replied with a smile.

❧

Liz watched Annie run across the backyard with a kite flying above her under the watchful eye of her grandmother and Annie’s great-grandmother through the 2nd-floor guest bedroom window of the Barrington home in Boston.

“How’s Gran?” Zoey asked in Liz’s ear.

Liz adjusted her hold on the cordless phone against it, “She’s delighted we came and seems more than happy to distract Annie. Since we’ve been here, she hasn’t asked about seeing mom and dad once. I have serious mom guilt.”

“Once baby sister gets here, it’ll be worth keeping her a secret from Annie,” Zoey assured her. “I might be able to come down and join you on Sunday. The social office managed to find a 4th of July event I could go to in Manchester during the day.”

“If we managed to wrangle Ellie, it would probably make Gran’s year. I accidentally broke the news about the case conference before she heard about it from mom.”

Zoey sucked air through her teeth, “How did Gran take it?”

“Like Gran. It didn’t seem to bother her. But she’s been worried about mom since the beginning.”

“Dad would bring her to DC if we told him how she felt.”

“I know he would. It’s up to Gran though, Zoey. You know how she feels about the fuss. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I ran into the Gardners when I went to the store earlier.”

“Oh? How are they?”

“Good. We actually spent most of the time talking about Amy. She’s thinking about switching jobs again. They’re proud of her but afraid that she’ll never want to settle down.”

“The Gardners could just adopt you,” Zoey suggested, teasingly “They’ve always thought you and Doug made a good couple.”

“Haha, baby sister,” Liz replied. “They don’t realize what a responsibility raising a family is along with being a Bartlet. Mom’s schedule is exhausting, even split between us. I have no idea how she’s going to do half of this work after the baby comes if she doesn’t find help soon.”

“You don’t have to tell me. It doesn’t help that her Chief of Staff wants out. I know she only agreed to the first year. But mom’s office still isn’t fully staffed.”

“I know. She’s missing a Director of Legislative Affairs. Amy would be perfect for it.”

“Didn’t mom say that Amy is smart, but can get too over her head?”

“Yes, which is why mom would need a solid Chief of Staff who doesn’t mind kids, Liz replied, the wheels in her head already turning.

“Maybe we need to keep an eye out for one. Short of cloning ourselves, it seems like the most feasible option.”

“Mom doesn’t want us to be the ones responsible for taking care of the baby.”

“Then why do we all feel so guilty? Our sister is going to be surrounded by staff. We like the senior staff. But they’re not us.”

“I know they’re not, Zoey,” Liz said softly. “Mom and dad will figure this out. She’s going to be attached to them for the foreseeable future, so they’re going to have to. Parenting is harder than it looks. Believe me.”

“This whole thing makes me want to forget having kids altogether,” Zoey grumbled.

Liz laughed, “Just wait, Zoey. One day, you’ll meet someone, and you might want children with them. Mom and dad are proof of that.”

“Yeah, baby fever and all.”

The two siblings continued to talk about their plans for the upcoming holiday as well as their political obligations. Like the senior staff, the Bartlet siblings were beginning to feel the pressure being exerted on them by the arrival of their sister. Even if it was self-driven on their part.

❧

A stack of celebrity gossip magazines sat fanned out along with an assortment of dark chocolate bars, naturally flavored water, and assorted mommy spa products on the coffee table in front of Abbey, who sat on the sofa beside Donna in a robe and chic slippers.

“Donna, this is beyond the call of duty. You didn’t have to do this,” Abbey said, looking at the younger woman.

“Someone needed to,” Donna replied sensibly. “Everyone else on the senior staff is running around like the baby’s going to show up tomorrow or something. Think of it like the time you sprained your ankle near the end of the campaign.”

“Oh, I almost forgot about that,” She said, thinking back to September 1998, when she had done just that on an impromptu hike during a campaign stop in Ohio. “You brought me provisions when I sat out the campaign event that night.”

“You never told me who your celebrity hall pass is after we read that article in _People_.”

Abbey smiled, “I don’t actually have one, Donna. I just let my husband think I have one. Believe me, just the thought is enough to make him jealous.”

“Your relationship is something, Dr. Bartlet,” She said, returning the smile. “It’s almost like a fairy tale.”

“You can dispense with the formalities, Donna. Abbey will be just fine today. Although I do appreciate that you use my professional title. I still feel like someone is referring to my mother-in-law every time someone calls me Mrs. Bartlet.”

“Okay, Abbey it is, then.”

“It didn’t feel like a fairy tale at first if you really want to know the truth. Imagine dating someone and falling for them almost instantly, only to discover that they want to become a priest.”

“What did you do?”

“We dated for a while, but ultimately, Jed and I decided to take some time apart, so he could decide what he wanted to do. I ended up dating a man named Ron Erlich for 9 months after that. We ended things because Jed proposed, and he’s been my only man ever since. He also gets insanely jealous anytime Ron Erlich is mentioned.”

“Still. Love doesn’t usually happen that way.”

“It’s not like we were looking for it, Donna,” Abbey replied. “In fact, I wasn’t looking for anything at all since I was focused on going to medical school after college. Meeting my husband was like receiving a metaphorical tap on the shoulder to make me pay attention. I felt like that with this one, too,” She said indicating the baby.

“I was wondering about that,” Donna admitted. “Having a child on top of a Presidency is a lot.”

“I don’t disagree with you. By the campaign came around, having another child wasn’t even a thought.”

“Until you received that tap on your shoulder.”

Abbey felt tears well up in her eyes again, and she grabbed a tissue to dab at them, “There’s nothing like being reminded that you’re running out of time. Biology is funny that way. ”

Donna hesitated, “Have you made any progress on your search for an aide to help out?”

“No, but that isn’t necessarily surprising. An aide won’t be of much help without a strong Chief of Staff,” She said and then caught the look of recognition in Donna’s eyes. “Let me guess, the whole building knows Lilli Mays wants to quit.”

“It’s only been talked about among the executive assistants.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Abbey replied with a hint of sarcasm. “I appreciate that you told me, Donna.”

“If you were looking for a Chief of Staff, what would you be looking for?” Donna asked, curiously.

“I need someone who’s comfortable with some light family management, first of all. The amount of coordination it takes between Charlie and Lilli just to get Jed and me in the same room sometimes still stuns me. This person has to understand that my family comes first, develop a good working relationship with Charlie, and, comfortable holding a baby occasionally. I’ll hire other people to help them manage everything else.”

“It sounds simple enough. But in this town, I’ll bet it’s like trying to find a unicorn.”

“Something like that,” Abbey agreed, thinking about the dozens of people she had interviewed over the last few months. All of them were either political operatives or nannies, none of whom were willing to let their roles intersect.

“There has to be someone who would jump at the chance to work for you,” Donna said, her mind going through people she knew. Despite having come to the Bartlet Campaign with no political experience whatsoever, she learned to network quickly and had developed a good Rolodex of people to call on for Josh if he needed her to.

“The moment I mention the words “baby” and “Chief of Staff” in the same sentence, I lose every person I’ve interviewed since Lilli made it clear she’d like to move on. You’re the first person I’ve talked to who doesn’t think I’ve lost my mind.”

“I understand why you want someone different,” Donna said empathetically “The President has the senior staff to manage just about everything and Charlie seems like he’ll be happy to help with the baby. You deserve to have the same support.”

Abbey looked over at Donna, feeling very proud to have someone like this smart and capable young woman on her husband’s staff. Josh lucked out when she was assigned to him on the campaign. Donna lacked a degree and didn’t have traditional political experience outside the Bartlet Campaign. On the other hand, she did have the qualities that Abbey prized like intelligence, tenacity, curiosity, a kind heart, and common sense.

“Donna,” Abbey said after a minute. “If you were offered the job as my Chief of Staff, would you consider taking it?”

Donna’s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting where this conversation had taken them. Her mind started to race. The Chief of Staff to the First Lady was a very coveted position and was usually filled by extremely experienced people with graduate-level degrees. She was none of those things. Then again, Abbey Bartlet was asking her to take on a rather unorthodox role.

❧

"Noooo...." Josh groaned. He was looking at a report that the temp covering for Donna just brought him. It wasn’t tabbed the way he usually liked it to be. So as a result, he was going to have to manually slog through 500 pages to find the information he needed. It was nearly 6 p.m. and an afternoon without Donna put him in a terrible mood.

Donna entered Josh's office a few minutes later, after having spent the better part of the afternoon talking to the First Lady about this potential new job. She was still in shock and not completely sure she was prepared or qualified to be Chief of Staff. But she kept coming back to the one thing. Her primary focus would be to make this little girl feel safe and cared for when her parents had to leave her. She could do that without question. Everything else was another issue.

“Hey,” She said to Josh.

“Hey,” He replied. “Are you officially my assistant again?”

“Yeah. The President is back up in the Residence.”

“He seemed almost gleeful to tell me you were staying in the Residence with Dr. B today.”

“Because he trusted me to stay with her, Josh. You wouldn’t know it, but they’re both worried and I can’t blame them.”

"I know," Josh said, rubbing a hand over his face and letting out a sigh. “The President’s head wasn’t completely in the game. We saved the bill, though. God, I can't wait until this kid gets here.”

"It's not the baby's fault you know," Donna pointed out.

“I never said it was, it’s just that we’re all waiting on tenterhooks for her to get here. It’s bad enough that there’s going to the media circus after. There’s also the next foreign trip to think about. The President is visiting 4 countries and the Vatican in a couple of months.”

“I didn’t even think about that. If the President and First Lady do decide to go together, they’re going to need a lot of help.”

“No kidding,” He said and looked down at the report. “It’s going to take forever to get through this thing. The temp they sent over was incompetent. I missed you today, honestly.”

Donna smiled, It’s nice to know, I was missed. “

“Donna, if I give you this, can you have it tabbed for me by tomorrow at some point?”

Josh closed the report and held it up for Donna to take. She looked at the report and then back up at him. The prospect of telling him this news made her nervous. But just looking at the report in Josh’s hands seemed to tell her everything she needed to know. If she turned down this opportunity, there wouldn’t be another, at least not like this.

“Josh, the First Lady asked me to be her new Chief of Staff.”

“She has one,” Josh replied, looking confused as he set the report down.

Donna took a seat in the chair across from his desk, “Lilli Mays wants to quit. The only reason she hasn’t is that she doesn’t want to leave the First Lady in a bind.”

“You’re going to be over your head,” He said. It wasn’t a criticism or said with any malice. Donna could tell he was still in shock. He also wasn’t wrong. The First Lady’s Office was running like a well-oiled machine right now, mostly because the Bartlet daughters had taken on their mother’s obligations with very little direction. But it was going to fall apart without solid leadership and direction once the media scrutiny set in.

“I’ll have help. My primary focus is going to be helping to coordinate the First Family, at least until Baby Bartlet has some sort of routine. Lilli and Dr. B were planning on filling a few open positions in her office, but that never happened for obvious reasons. If I accept, the next person she wants to hire is a Director of Legislative Affairs to help with political and policy issues.”

“I thought Dr. B was going to hire a senior aide to basically act as the kid’s nanny,” He said still trying to wrap his head around this turn of events.

"Dr. Bartlet also wants someone who can work with her to develop her portfolio to include issues like women's health, children's health, and childcare. Her DLA with help with that but a Chief of Staff’s support is just as important.”

“Yeah, but if you want to know the honest truth, it sounds like you’re going to be a glorified nanny.”

“Josh,” Donna sighed. “The President and First Lady of the United States are about to have a baby. No aspect of their life is private. Charlie has to put a euphemism in the daily schedule any time they want to have sex outside of sleeping hours. As good and discrete as Charlie is, Dr. B deserves to have a strong support system of people who can empathize with what she’s going through. I’m willing to do that for her because she’s been there for all of us, answering our embarrassing medical questions and making sure we’re not working ourselves to death. Why aren’t you willing to support that?”

“I am,” Josh said defensively. “I just think you’d be putting yourself in a really difficult situation. Do you really want to be the other person witnessing parts of their private lives alongside Charlie?”

“Presidents don’t get time off,” She said quietly. “First Ladies really don’t either. I know they’re planning to take some time off back in Manchester. But you just said yourself that the President has a foreign trip coming up just weeks after Baby Bartlet comes. He wants to be there to give Dr. B the postpartum support she needs and that’s not always going to be possible. At least they can trust me to help and who knows, maybe I’ll learn something along the way.”

A moment of silence passed between them, “It sounds like you’ve made up your mind.”

“Yeah,” Donna said, suddenly feeling a little sad.

“I meant what I said, earlier. I really did miss having you around,” Josh replied.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find someone to replace me who isn’t incompetent.”

Josh smiled at her then, “Thanks.”

Donna reached over and took the report from his desk, “I’ll go tab this for you.”

She stood up and walked out of his office and back toward her desk for what she realized, would be one of the last times that she would be working here. Donna sat down at her desk and picked up the phone, dialing the extension for the Residence that the First Lady had given her.

“Dr. Bartlet,” She said after the other woman picked up. “I accept.”

Donna couldn’t have been more scared and more excited than she was right then. She was signing up for a difficult and crazy next few years that would also end up being the most rewarding of her career in the Bartlet Administration and beyond.

❧

_Saturday, July 3, 1999_  
_5 Weeks Before Baby Bartlet’s Due Date_  
_Morning_

On Saturday morning, Jed sat at his desk in his study getting a bit of work done after breakfast. Abbey actually took his suggestion for once and decided to go back to sleep for a while. Satisfied, he let the agents posted at the door know he’d be in the study if Abbey needed him.

A knock sounded on the door and Charlie opened it, “Mr. President?” He called.

“Yes, Charlie?”

“Your brother-in-law is on line 3.”

“Thanks, Charlie,” He said before Charlie closed the door, and he reached for the phone. He pressed line 3, “Hello, Richard,” He said congenially. “How are you?”

“I’m doing very well,” Richard Gilmore said, smiling through the phone before lowering his voice, “I know you’ve said we’re welcome to come and visit any time. But under the circumstances, you deserve to be forewarned.”

“Oh, you’re planning a visit?”

Richard sighed, “Emily got a call from her mother last night. She’s been ordered to go check on Abbey personally.”

Jed closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, imagining the contents of such a phone call. He loved his wife’s side of the family as a general rule. But being married to a Barrington woman came with its set of challenges.

“You’re not calling me from Washington, are you?” He asked, hoping he would have enough time to warn Abbey.

“No, we’re still in Hartford. We booked a private flight and should be there sometime this afternoon.”

“Richard!” Jed heard Emily Gilmore exclaim in the background of the phone call, “You need to finish packing.” The tone was commanding and sounded more than a little annoyed. This was not going to be an impromptu visit designed to catch up with one’s family. It was an obligation mixed with annoyance.

“I appreciate the warning, Richard,” Jed said, and he meant it. “I’ll see you this afternoon. When Jed hung up the phone, he let out a long sigh before gathering himself together. “Charlie,” He called.

The door opened again and Charlie stuck his head in, “Tell the household staff to prepare one of the guest bedrooms. My in-laws are coming to stay.”

It was time to face the consequences of their actions from the Barrington side of the family. Jed Bartlet knew in his gut that Emily Gilmore would have a lot more to say than his daughters did. At this point, he could only hope that the fireworks would be limited to the upcoming holiday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We don’t know much about Abbey and Jed’s families in TWW. I didn’t anticipate introducing anyone here. But I started to get a Gilmore-esque feeling when Liz was in Boston with her grandmother. In their respective shows, Abbey and Emily are listed as being the same age. When they meet in this universe, Abbey will be the younger sister by two years. Thanks tomlea7675 for her feedback! I can’t wait to share the next chapter with you soon!


	6. Nesting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the Gilmores come to town, the Bartlets and Gilmores talk about family issues on both sides. Abbey prepares to hire a Director of Legislative Affairs and Emily helps prepare for Baby Bartlet's arrival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is another long one and it covers a lot of ground to wrap up this chunk of time. It’s all about getting ready for Baby Bartlet to arrive and includes some details about how Abbey has managed to hide her pregnancy. A character I introduced in a story for Gilmore Girls makes an appearance here as well.
> 
> Enjoy!

_Saturday, July 3, 1999_   
_5 Weeks Before Baby Bartlet’s Due Date_   
_Morning_

When Jed finally returned to the master suite to let Abbey know that Emily and Richard were coming to visit an hour later, he was surprised to find his wife up and busily getting ready.

“I thought you were supposed to be resting,” He said closing the bedroom door behind him.

“I did rest,” Abbey replied. “And now I’m getting ready to meet with a potential Director of Legislative Affairs.”

“Already? Donna just agreed to be your new Chief of Staff last night.”

“I know. But I need to make sure Donna is properly supported. My office is held together by hope and a prayer at this point.”

Jed nodded reluctantly, “I suppose it is time. CJ has said she expects a lot of questions directed towards your office about motherhood and the baby. So she’ll need someone to work with.”

“Which is why Amy Gardner is at the top of my list.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Amy’s a good choice. But are you sure she’s right for DLA?”

“With Donna as my Chief of Staff, they might make the perfect team. Amy’s smart and aggressive. Where she might overstep, Donna can pull her back and where Donna is out of her depth, Amy can fill the gap.”

“You sound fairly confident about that.”

Abbey shrugged, “I’m simply trying to stay positive,” She said as she adjusted the navy blue pleated dress she was planning to wear for the meeting in the mirror. “You know, I really have to hand it to Alexandra. These pieces she designed for me to wear are beautiful, comfortable, and they hide the baby remarkably well.”

“Speaking of our niece, she’s coming to visit with her parents,” He said cautiously.

Abbey whirled around, “You don’t say,” She said and then her face fell when she saw Jed’s expression. “What?”

“Richard called to give me a heads up. Apparently, your mother called Emily last night and she ordered her to come here and check on you in person.”

“Just what I need,” She sighed. “I could kill Elizabeth right now.”

“It’s not Liz’s fault, Abbey. She was just talking to her grandmother.”

“I know, I know. I just need to concentrate on this staffing issue, that’s all.”

“Honey, you know it can wait until Monday.”

Abbey walked over to him and put her arms around his neck, “It really can’t.”

Jed leaned in and kissed her, “This is one of those nesting urges, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Abbey replied, returning the kiss, “Except, instead of obsessing over the nursery, I’m intent on surrounding our daughter with strong, smart, capable women who aren’t afraid to walk and chew gum at the same time. But I suppose Emily and I will have time to cover the nursery too. I’m sure she’s bringing something with her.”

“Oh, They will be bringing something with them. Dr. Fashion called me a couple of weeks ago and asked me if we had any nicknames for the baby. I told her we’ve taken to calling her love bug lately.”

Abbey smiled, “Now that almost makes dealing with Emily’s annoyance over this visit worth it,” She said and leaned in to kiss him again.

For a few blissfully uninterrupted moments, Abbey and Jed let the world fade around them and got lost in each other. There were no pressing health issues to worry about, staffing issues, or political crises, just each other.

❧

Amy Gardner entered the West Wing later on Saturday morning and signed in. She was scheduled to meet the First Lady in the Residence. But was told to report to the West Wing first to meet the First Lady’s Chief of Staff. Considering that Abbey and Amy knew each other quite well, she thought it was a bit strange to need to wait for a Chief of Staff. But she supposed it was procedure. Although this White House didn’t strike her as the most traditional place.

As she took a seat in the waiting area, she saw a very familiar face come through the West Wing entrance.

“Joshua.” She called out.

Josh turned and smiled, “Amy, what are you doing here?”

“I have an appointment with the First Lady,” She replied coming over to him.

“Oh,” Josh said with a little laugh. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Amy frowned, “What is that supposed to mean?”

He smiled, “I’m guessing you don’t know.”

“Know about what?”

“You’ll know when you see it, let’s put it that way.”

“I’m beginning to see why you’ve had so many legislative missteps this year. This administration can’t seem to decide what it wants.”

“We know what we want, it’s just a question of when we can get it,” Josh replied. “Believe me, you’ll come to appreciate the constraints we’ve been working under.”

“Does your assistant find it annoying when you’re this vague?” She asked.

“Not about this,” He said and then sighed, “Donna’s actually not really my assistant anymore.”

“That’s too bad. For what it’s worth, she’s almost too good at her job.”

Josh ran a hand through his hair, “You wouldn’t be the first person to think that.”

Donna came through the door leading to the East Wing and stopped when she saw Josh, “Hey.”

“Hey. I think this is your appointment.”

She turned to Amy, “Hi, I’m not sure if you remember me.”

“You’re Donna,” Amy said with a smile. “Are you the—-“

“Yes,” Donna said quickly before Amy could say the words “Chief of Staff”. “I’ll explain on the way. Follow me.”

Since the Chief of Staff promotion was a big move, only people who needed to know did. Until the First Lady finished her hiring process and they came up with plausible reasons for staff changes, Donna didn’t want to risk anyone overhearing.

“Okay,” Amy said still a little confused as she followed Donna and fell into step beside her as they headed in the direction of the Residence.

❧

Abbey sat in the East Hall in a comfortable chair with her notes in front of her. She had done some quick research the night before after Liz called her and mentioned Amy’s name. Jed tried to persuade her to rest, but after almost an entire day simply resting and chatting with Donna, she figured an hour of research wouldn’t hurt. It confirmed what she already knew and motivated her to call Amy last night to schedule an appointment for today.

When Donna led Amy into the sitting area, Abbey couldn’t help but suppress a small smile at the confusion on Amy’s face. She surmised Donna told her about Lilli Mays wanting to quit and had yet to satisfy her with an explanation that seemed plausible.

“Thanks, Donna,” Abbey said. “Stick close by, I have a feeling I might need you.”

Donna nodded, “I will,” She said and headed off in the direction of the Master Suite to go check on some packages that arrived for the First Lady yesterday, presumably for Baby Bartlet.

Abbey stood up as Amy came over to greet her, “Hello Amy.”

Amy smiled at her, “Hello Ma’am.”

“You can dispense with the formalities for the moment, Amy,” She said as they shared a brief embrace. The baby chose that exact moment to stretch, reaching one of her little hands, or maybe, it was a foot towards Amy.

Amy interpreted it as a light tap, “What—?” As they parted, she looked down and it took her a second, but she saw the swell of Abbey’s stomach hidden underneath the layers of the dress. “Josh wasn’t kidding,” She said looking up at Abbey.

Abbey smiled, “The senior staff has been working very hard for this special little project.”

Taking a seat in the chair beside Abbey Amy said, “Please tell me there’s some truth to the rumor you had an affair with the VP. It’s all the rage at the check stands these days.”

“The truth, Amelia,” Abbey said pointedly. “Is that I’ve been having a long-term affair with this crazy economist from New Hampshire who maintains we make beautiful babies.”

The two women laughed appreciatively. Since she first started the process of searching for new staff, Abbey knew they had to be people who could drop formalities in private, especially in the presence of her child. It wasn’t an easy line to walk professionally. But she needed people who could see beyond the office, at least until the baby was old enough to understand mommy and daddy had peculiar jobs. Amy was one such person. Abbey babysat her when she was home from college and their families remained close socially and Amy knew Jed too.

“So the baby is responsible for your change in staffing?”

“Among other things. I hired Donna because I need a Chief of Staff who won’t mind having a child around.”

“How does Josh feel about you hiring his not-girlfriend away,” Amy said as more of a statement than a question.”

“He wasn’t consulted. But I imagine it must sting a bit. I won’t apologize for hiring Donna, though. She’s the only person on staff who seems to understand that our family comes first.”

“Your husband is still the leader of the free world, Abbey. He can’t always put his family ahead of the American people.”

“Which is why we need to have people around us who can do that temporarily,” Abbey explained. “Until yesterday, I had no one while Jed has his personal aide and Mrs. Landingham, to say nothing of his staff. Starting now, I’m branding my office and I want it to have an agenda that complements the Presidents. At the same time, I’m going to have to answer mommy questions.”

“Yeah,” Amy said letting out a breath. “You are.”

As a lobbyist who spent most of her career on women’s issues, Amy knew all too well the issues that women faced, particularly in positions of power. She could already see the scrutiny Abbey was going to face, the questions she was going to be asked about this baby, and how she would raise him or her in the spotlight.

“I need someone who knows how to set legislative agendas and who can work with CJ on the tough issues.”

“And to help Donna when she’s out of her depth.”

“Yes,” Abbey admitted. “I envision these two people working together very closely and setting the tone for my office. Are you up for the challenge?”

“Will I have to put my college nannying skills to use?” Amy asked.

“Every once in a while, perhaps. But I’m more interested in surrounding my daughter with strong women while we’re here.”

A small smile touched Amy’s lips. She didn’t particularly have strong feelings towards kids. But there was something about Abbey Bartlet that she couldn’t say no to even as a child herself.

“Well, when you put it that way….I’m in.”

Amy wasn’t about to admit it publicly, but she was nearly out the door at her current job and was already looking for an opportunity. This one came along at the perfect time. It would also be the longest stretch of employment she ever had if she played her cards right.

❧

Zoey Bartlet’s mini motorcade pulled up outside of the North Portico to pick up some of her things before she headed back to New Hampshire for the 4th and then onto Boston to spend time with Liz, her family, and grandmother. Ahead of her, Emily and Richard Gilmore got out of their vehicle while White House household staff pulled out luggage and other items followed by two rolling racks that had folded up for the journey. When they came out, the legs locked into a standing position revealing black garment bags with a familiar AE in gold letters. She got out of the car just in time to see her cousin, 17-year-old Alexandra join her aunt and uncle.

“Hi Aunt Emily, Uncle Richard,” She said coming up to them.

“Zoey,” Emily said, the ever-present annoyed expression she wore ever since leaving Hartford lessened. She embraced her niece, “I thought you were going back to Manchester?”

“Not for a little while,” She replied.

“It’s nice to see you, Zoey,” Richard said and they also shared a hug.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just checking on your mother,” Emily answered, a trace of annoyance in her voice.

“Oh,” Zoey said and turned to Alexandra, “Hey deb, fancy a movie?”

“That sounds great,” Alexandra said and looked at her parents.

“Go,” Richard said with a nod. “We’ll make sure everything gets upstairs.”

Zoey and Alexandra walked up the stairs and passed Charlie on the way.

“Hey Charlie,” Zoey said smiling at him.

“Hi Zoey, Hi Alex,” Charlie said returning the smile as he went down to greet Emily and Richard.

“Hello Mrs. Gilmore, Mr. Gilmore,” He sat with a polite smile.

“Charlie, my boy,” Richard said jovially. “I hope my brother-in-law lets you have your time off from time to time.”

“Yes, sir, my last duty of the day is to help you settle in.”

Charlie led them upstairs to the second floor and the Queen’s Bedroom, which had been prepared for the Gilmore’s arrival with staffers Alexandra had been put in the East Bedroom.

“Where is the First Lady, Charlie?” Emily asked, removing a small cream-colored Moses basket from the cart before the staffer wheeled it into the bedroom.

“She’s in the den, ma’am,” Charlie said. “Mr. Gilmore, the President is waiting for you upstairs in the Sun Room.”

“Very good,” Richard said crisply. “I’ll find my own way upstairs.”

Richard kissed Emily on the cheek and headed towards the stairs leading up to the third floor. The staffer who brought the trolly up headed toward the Master Suite with the rest of the baby gear Emily brought.

Charlie escorted Emily down the hall to the den.

“Thank you, Charlie,” Emily said before slipping inside.

Abbey was sitting in one of the club chairs in the den, reading one of the magazines that Donna brought her the previous day. She was dressed in a pair of light linen pants and a loose tunic-style top that Emily recognized as her daughter’s handiwork. An assortment of iced teas and refreshments sat on the coffee table in front of them. She looked up when Emily walked in.

“Hello Emily,” She said with a smile, trying to remain positive as she set the magazine down.

“Hello Abigail,” Emily replied, giving her what appeared to be a polite smile. But Abbey knew better than that.

“How was your flight?”

“Oh, it was fine. You know, Abigail, I really thought I would be done cleaning up your messes at this point in our lives.”

In one sentence, Abbey Bartlet, a world-class physician, wife, mother, and First Lady of the United States felt like she was 8 years-old again.

❧

10 Things I Hate About You played up on the screen in front of Zoey and Alexandra. The younger Bartlet glanced over at her cousin in the dark. The two girls were close since only a little over a year separated them. Alexandra was taller than Zoey and she took after the Barrington side of the family in her looks with her long dark hair and brown eyes. A satchel bag sat open at her feet and Alex had a small sketchpad open on her lap, a pencil poised in her hands to write a note or draw something.

“So deb, how’s Logan?” Zoey asked, knowing that the question would get a rise out of her cousin.

“Please don’t call me deb, Zoey,” Alexandra said before looking over at her. “Logan is fine, although he got kicked out of the last school he was in. So he’s going to Andover for senior year .”

“You do talk,” She said with a smirk. “For two people who aren’t in a relationship, you seem awfully close.”

“We’ve known each other since cotillion school when we were 10,” Alexandra replied with a hint of exasperation in her voice. “Why do we have to be anything more than friends?”

“Because you two can’t stop smiling whenever you’re together. We all saw it at the DAR ball, deb.”

The Bartlet sisters had managed to avoid most of the high-society traditions that Abbey was raised in. The only thing they did do was attend cotillion school when they were young. They all opted out of having a coming out because Jed’s political career had put them in the public spotlight enough.

By contrast, Alexandra was steeped in that world. She took her debutante season very seriously, going so far as to attend a finishing school in London two summers earlier ahead of her presentation. Her hard work paid off when she was chosen to be presented at a ball in London followed by the National Daughters of the American Revolution Ball here in Washington. The latter honor was significant in Barrington family history since every woman who was eligible to participate did so for the past century. Zoey loved to tease her by calling her deb.

“Yes, well we enjoy each other’s company. But he already has enough to concern himself with in taking over the Huntzberger media companies after college. He wants to have fun and I’m busy enough as it is.”

Zoey looked down at the sketchpad in Alexandra’s hand. Her cousin loved designing and making clothes. She was the unofficial family dresser, having started by designing for all of them starting at age 8. Only a handful of years later, she started her own fashion brand, Alexandra Eloise or AE for short, “You deserve to have fun, too you know.”

“This is fun,” she replied. “Speaking of fun, I hope our mothers will have some. Dad and I spent the entire trip here listening to my mom rant about how she’s too old to be checking up on your mom.”

“You know them. They’ll be fine. Are all of those baby clothes you were working on with Lorelei done yet?”

Alexandra smiled proudly, “Yes. They turned out really sweet. I can’t wait to show your mom and dad the built-in baby carrier jackets I made. The carriers even have covers on the back to shield the baby from prying eyes.”

“Wow,” Zoey said impressed. “You really ran with the privacy idea,” She said and paused. “Thanks, Alex. I know it must have been hard for you to go to Lorelei.”

“Lorelei has always kept a door open for me, Zoe. It wasn’t that hard to ask her to help. She’s just as excited for the baby to come as everyone else.”

“Then how come you’re not going to Stars Hollow for the 4th of July?”

Alex shrugged, “Lorelei and Rory have their own lives there, Zoey. I just visit every once in a while.”

“Mom and dad have seen Lorelei and Rory more than your parents have.”

“Because they’re Switzerland in this family. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know if I would have a relationship with Lorelei and Rory beyond family holidays.”

“I guess not,” Zoey admitted. Growing up, Zoey, Ellie, and Liz took quite a few trips to Stars Hallow with Alex in tow, and Lorelei and Rory made trips up to the farm.

“If America knew about the levels of diplomacy they’ve had to exhibit, I’m sure your dad would get more credit for his lack of foreign policy experience. “

“Maybe,” Zoey said with a smile.

❧

Abbey poured herself a glass of iced tea without caffeine in it and gestured for her sister to sit, “On the contrary, Emily, I am quite capable of handling my own affairs. It is nice to see you, though,” She said striving to keep things civil between them. She could see clearly that Emily was spoiling for a fight because she had been on the other end of the phone with their mother the night before.

“Our mother doesn’t think you can. She believes you’re letting yourself get lost in all of this,” She said, gesturing to the room around her as she took a seat next to Abbey and set down the Moses basket. “Frankly, I’m wondering if she is right. You told me another child was off the table for the two of you more than once.”

“Circumstances change.”

Emily raised an eyebrow and Abbey could practically see the steam coming out of her ears, “That’s your excuse? You’re having another child during your husband’s first year in office and all you have to say is that circumstances have changed?”

“Emily, please—“

“Don’t “Emily” me, Abigail Ann. You are my sister and I know when you’re holding something back. What is it?” She said firmly.

“Mom assumed when I told her about the baby that she was just a happy accident. “

Emily stopped and stared at her sister for a moment. Then it began to sink in. The annoyance that had fueled her since the previous night began to fade away. “I jumped to the same conclusion,” she finished quietly as she thought about her terrible initial reaction. Part of it was fueled by her experience with Lorelei’s own unexpected pregnancy. But for Emily, it had also been fueled by fear for her sister and for Jed.

“I would rather you thought we were irresponsible,” Abbey said in an equally soft voice. “I could never tell mom the truth. She still hasn’t gotten over that Jed hasn’t been honest about having MS while he was running.”

“Or anything else,” Emily pointed out. She was the only one besides the girls and Millie who knew about the medication. Not even Richard knew. “Abbey, nothing has changed with Jed, has it? His disease hasn’t progressed?”

“No,” Abbey assured her sister. “Nothing has changed.”

“Then, what Abbey?”

“Jed and I talked about wanting another baby towards the end of the campaign. We never intended for it to be anything but that. It was supposed to be our fun little fantasy to get us through the rest of the campaign.”

“Until it wasn’t just talk,” Emily said knowingly.

The two Barrington sisters had been at odds with each other often throughout their lives. Emily did what their high-society upbringing demanded and married Richard because that is what a young woman from a respectable family did. She became a supportive wife and a mother not long after. Abbey followed suit by marrying Jed. But when they both decided to have careers and children, it seemed as if they could do no wrong in the eyes of their mother. That was a bitter pill for Emily to swallow. She did exactly what was demanded of her with seemingly no credit.

That lingering resentment reared up again from time to time. But had it not been for Abbey, Emily wouldn’t have Alexandra. They were content having just one child. When Abbey was pregnant with Zoey, Richard and Emily found themselves discussing another child. Lorelei came along easily enough. Abbey insisted that Emily see someone when she learned they wanted another child and had no success. Pride almost prevented such a visit. Emily eventually gave in and received treatment for a minor issue. Not long after Alexandra came into their lives.

“” I know we must seem——“

“Like the two idiots in love you’ve always been?” She asked with a wry smile. She poured herself a glass of iced tea and took a sip. “No one in this family is truly surprised you’re having another child, Abigail. Not even our mother.”

Abbey let out a regretful sigh, “The last thing I want is for mom to worry over me. But it’s what mothers do.”

“She’s under the impression that Jed’s health is worse than he’s let on. When Lizzy mentioned the case conference, her worry boiled over. Why didn’t you tell us that your doctors were concerned that the baby isn’t growing?”

“I’ve been onto Jed about staying healthy with the baby coming. He’s the one who held me together yesterday when I had a breakdown over this growth issue.”

“Abbey, why didn’t you say anything?”

“There’s nothing to say, Emily. That’s why I waited to tell you and mom. The girls only knew because they’ve been taking on so much of my schedule. As it is, my team can’t seem to agree that anything is wrong.”

“Aren’t they supposed to be the best of the best?”

“Doctors are human beings, Emily. We don’t know everything.”

Emily’s eyes sparkled with amusement, “Imagine that,” She said and then picked up the Moses basket. “From your nieces. Lorelei helped put some of it together or so I hear.”

Abbey took it and saw that the basket had a navy blue cover, presumably for a car seat with a heart pattern on it. The initials LB were scattered in between the hearts. She removed the cover and found the basket filled with an assortment of clothes, two little stuffed animals, and a blanket. She picked up a white onesie rolled up in the basket and unrolled it. “Mommy’s little love bug,” it said in a cursive fuchsia font with hearts for dots over the i’s.”

“Oh Emily,” Abbey cooed. “This is so sweet.”

All of the items in the basket were a variation on the “love bug “ theme.

“You know how Alexandra is when inspiration hits. Since she discovered finishers, she seems to be designing all the time. The only pieces she actually constructs herself are for family. I think Lorelei put together most of these though since baby clothes are new for her sister.”

“How are the two of them doing these days?”

“Fine or so it seems. Lorelei won’t talk to me about much of anything and Alexandra tries to pretend they’re best friends,” Emily sighed. “Even after everything you and Jed did to help them stay in touch, it’s still difficult for them and I don’t know how to fix it. They have to find their own way, much as it kills me. “

Abbey reached out and Emily clasped her hand. For all that they went through, the two sisters had a strong bond even in times of anger and stress. For that they were grateful. If only the two Gilmore sisters could share the same bond.

❧

A little while later, Abbey, Jed, Richard, and Emily were gathered in the dining room in the Residence having a light lunch. There were two empty seats at one end of the table for Zoey and Alexandra if they decided to join their parents.

“You really outdid yourself, Emily,” Jed said looking at his sister-in-law from across the table. “I didn’t think that the dressing room would feel like home.”

“It’s nothing Jed,” Emily replied airily.

While Abbey and Emily were talking, the household staff had taken the furniture and baby items that she brought and set it up according to a room design she sent Abbey the week before. The dressing room off of the master suite had been turned into a sweet nursery styled after their house in New Hampshire. While the baby wouldn’t necessarily sleep there, the room now had storage for clothes, a changing table, a book library, some toys, and a bed with a trundle in it in case someone needed to stay with the baby.

Emily had even added a few hidden touches in the master suite, putting a mini freezer in one of the nightstands with bottle storage. A portable changing station with space for supplies slipped under the bed. The other nightstand had been modified to store other odds and ends Abbey or Jed might need for the baby.

“Now I know where Alexandra gets it from.”

“She gave me the idea for the Master Suite modifications with all the clothes she designed for you to carry the baby and keep her hidden from the cameras. With all of the people in and out of there, at least you won’t have to share every aspect of your lives.”

“We appreciate that Em,” Abbey said and she meant it.

“At least you’re prepared now.”

“Emily,” Richard said. “I think Jed and Abbey have taken care of enough children in their time to know how to prepare for them.”

“Says the man who doesn’t know what to do if we don’t eat dinner at 7 o’clock every night,” Emily said with a little smile.

“She does have a point, Richard,” Abbey said. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of coordination that goes into eating dinner in the same room together. “We need all the help we can get.”

“I heard you hired Amy Gardner,” Jed said turning to Abbey.

“I did. After we met today, I sent her off with Donna to strategize over lunch so they could hit the ground running.”

“Amy Gardner. You don’t mean the same Amy you used to sit for do you?” Emily asked.

“The very same. She went to Yale Law with Jed’s deputy Chief of Staff, Josh Lyman. I heard through the grapevine that she might be looking for a job and the rest is history.”

“What a small world. What did you hire her to do?”

“She’s my Director of Legislative Affairs, which means she would handle issues related to bills the Administration is considering. I’m actually counting Amy to use her political experience to help Donna.”

“And for Donna to keep Amy from getting too out of hand,” Jed said.

“I always liked Donna,” Emily said. She seems like she has a good head on her shoulders.”

“She does. But I saw Josh this morning. He seems a bit disappointed you took Donna from him, Abigail.”

“Would you like me to give her back?”

“Somehow I don’t think that would bode very well for me if you did.”

“Correct, handsome.”

“Now that you have your staff and have a nursery completed, what’s next on your list?” Emily asked.

“My medical team will continue to monitor the baby for any issues and if everything remains stable, we’ll decide where the birth takes place.”

“Are you still hoping you’ll be able to stay here?”

“Medical issues aside, Ron Butterfield would feel a lot better if we were here since it’s a controlled environment.”

“There’s also a lot of moving parts involved,” Jed added. “A lot of people will be working hard to make sure I’ll be able to be with Abbey undisturbed, to say nothing of the actual announcement itself.”

“It’ll be quite something,” Richard mused. “You’ll be making history of a different sort.” He raised his glass, “I propose a toast. To the safe arrival of your daughter and our niece. May she be a radiant example of her parent’s love and a continued blessing on our family.”

Everyone clinked glasses and officially toasted Baby Bartlet. It wouldn’t be the last one made. But after a stressful 24 hours, it was the first time that Abbey and Jed felt like they would come through this process no worse for the wear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! A new chapter will be up soon that brings Baby Bartlet’s arrival closer.


	7. Happy Anniversary, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abbey and Jed celebrate their wedding anniversary and discuss preparations for Baby Bartlet's arrival. Jed's niece comes to the White House for a visit, Annie is finally let in on the big family secret, and the senior staff are honored by the Bartlet sisters for their hard work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thank you to everyone for their positive feedback on this story. I’ve really enjoyed writing it for myself and for you. This chapter introduces members from Jed’s side of the family from CBS’s Madam Secretary long before the series starts. Thanks to mlea7675 for her feedback.
> 
> Like the Gilmores, I’m introducing Bess and family like guest stars so that I can call on them in future stories and as readers, you’ll have references to turn to.
> 
> For the purposes of this universe, the Bartlet family has two girls named Elizabeth after Jed and John’s mother Elizabeth.
> 
> Disclaimer: Elizabeth McCord and family belong to creator Lori McCreary and the respective rights holders for CBS. The same is true for the Gilmores and the West Wing. All characters save for Felicity and Alexandra belong to their creators and rights holders. I borrowed them for fun. 
> 
> Enjoy!

_Wednesday, August 18, 1999_  
_7 Days Past Baby Bartlet’s Due Date_  
_Early Morning_

The Presidency of the United States waited for no one. Jed Bartlet knew it all too well. The number of times he returned to his bedroom in the middle of the night just to grab a precious few hours of sleep before going back to work again was proof of that. But for the past week and a half, Jed started setting some hard limits temporarily. Unless it was an absolute emergency, his first meetings didn’t start until 8:00am and he started working from the residence by 8:00pm so that he could be with Abbey. No exceptions, unless the world was on fire.

The only fire that existed at the moment, though, was between Jed and Abbey. This particular early morning found them in the aftermath of making love. Their bedroom was still dark and cozy since the curtains were closed. He spooned her, their bodies pressed together in total contentment.

“Happy anniversary, sweet knees,” He whispered.

“Happy anniversary, babe,” Abbey whispered back.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” He said, dropping her kiss on her shoulder.

“That’s because we’re high on oxytocin.”

“What is that again?”

“You know damn well what it is.”

“Yeah, but I like hearing you explain it….”

Abbey shook her head and laughed, “Oxytocin is also known as the love hormone. It’s responsible for producing feelings of love, lust, and labor. We’ve been feeling the effects of the first two.”

“And trying to jump start the third. Our little lovebug is holding up the government. I’m beginning to wonder if we’re going to end up at Bethesda anyway.”

Jed knew the last thing Abbey wanted was to end up in the hospital. He couldn’t blame her. Whether they stayed here or went to the hospital, both sites had their concerns in terms of health and security risks. He also had a gut feeling that the baby wouldn’t appreciate it either, especially after last month. Despite her small size, their daughter continued to thrive. In fact, she seemed to be most content when they were together. Even their midwife commented on it during some of her visits. That’s how the nickname lovebug came about.

“Did you know that at this stage, our baby’s lungs are still developing and won’t be done until she’s eight? Or that her immune system won’t be fully developed until about then, too?”

“I did not. Is this your way of telling me that lovebug will come when she’s ready?”

“Something like that,” Abbey replied. “Also, the government isn’t being held up by our daughter. They’re willingly waiting for her.”

I suppose that’s true. The senior staff won’t say it. But they look about ready to kill. Something tells me they’ll be glad when we go back to the farm for a couple of weeks.”

"No one on the senior staff has kids yet. Wait until they see daddy Bartlet in action,” Abbey replied knowingly. She knew he was anxious to finally meet their daughter. Whether his ambitious plans matched up with the realities of his work, was another matter entirely.

“I’ll have you know that Charlie told me that he’s never seen a more committed father when he brought me the latest set of bottles I ordered yesterday.”

“How many does that make now, five?” Abbey asked with amusement.

“Six,” He said. “I want to avoid repeating our first month with Zoey.”

The last time they became parents, Abbey and Jed suffered greatly with Zoey in the early weeks over her refusal to drink from a bottle occasionally. Abbey was left to breastfeed Zoey exclusively until they found a bottle she would drink from. The time in between left Jed feeling helpless and Abbey without a break or a lot of sleep.

“You know she’s not going to use all of them.”

“I know. Whatever we don’t use, we can donate or save for the next grandchild.”

“How do you know we haven’t deterred our children with the arrival of their sister?”

“You were the one who told me that you thought Liz looked—-“

Abbey ribbed him lightly, “I have no confirmation on that yet. So keep it to yourself.”

“I wouldn’t dream of saying a word, mommy dearest,” He said. “Besides, I’m more focused on meeting lovebug.”

“Well, I don’t think we’re going to have to wait too, too much longer,” Abbey admitted and took Jed’s hand before placing it at the top of her stomach. His palm laid flat against her skin. “Feel that?”

“What am I supposed to feel?” He asked, frowning. “Because I don’t feel anything.”

“That’s the point, hot stuff. Lovebug moved down. She’s getting ready.”

Jed grinned in the dark, “We might share our anniversary with her.”

Abbey threaded her fingers through his and squeezed his hand, “I don’t know if I’d go that far, but it’s within the realm of possibility. Would you mind sharing?”

“We would never forget our anniversary if she did come today,” He mused. "My anniversary present might pale in comparison…”

“Why, what did you get me?” Abbey asked curiously.

“Oh, I think you’ll find it to be something you enjoy immensely,” He teased.

It wouldn’t be very long until the outside world intruded on them and Jed would be forced to leave their bed in service of the American people. For the moment, though, he pushed away all thoughts of what came next. He focused on proving his devotion to Abbey before they would be in a lovebug induced-hiatus for at least six weeks. Kissing her shoulder one last time, his fingers dipped underneath the sheets.

❧

Downstairs, Leo walked into his office feeling a bit more than weary, just after 6:30am. The White House was still mostly quiet. This time of year was usually when most people in DC left for at least a week or two, including Congress. But along with the First Family, their vacations had been pushed back, willingly, for the arrival of the baby.

The tension had risen considerably since the previous Wednesday came and went without any developments on that front. He couldn't blame the senior staff for feeling the burden. It had taken a considerable amount of time and effort on everyone's part but so far, no one outside of those who absolutely needed to know about Abbey's pregnancy did. They had made a series of dumb mistakes and unforced errors on much more substantive issues in exchange for keeping such a tight lid on that fact. There were some victories mixed in there though and overall, Leo thought the Administration did well considering what they were dealing with.

"Hey Leo," CJ said, popping her head around the door a few minutes later.

"Hey CJ. What are you doing in so early?"

CJ walked into the room, "The same reason as you, I would imagine."

Leo smiled, "You should be getting more sleep than me, especially at this point. You’ve earned it.”

"I know I should be. I've got the press right where I want them and the news cycle is ripe for the taking. I just can’t help but feel unprepared even though that's all I've done."

“You’re not the only one. I think the only truly prepared people are in the Secret Service or the medical unit.”

“I still can’t believe Baby Bartlet is going to be born here,” CJ admitted.

“Yeah, well, Toby has written a statement for almost every conceivable outcome just in case.”

“Please tell me that the President hasn’t read them all.”

“No,” Leo said quietly. “Only the most likely outcomes. Toby saved the others in a file somewhere.”

“Good,” CJ said relieved.

"The briefing for Baby Bartlet should only be about 10 to 15 minutes today. I don't think much will change from what we've already gone over in the last few days."

"Maybe that will mollify Josh. He's been complaining for the past week that the baby needs to hurry up and get here, so we can get some actual work done."

"I doubt it, but it's worth a shot."

CJ rolled her eyes, "He's going to lose the news cycle for at least the next month. No one is going to care about what the Administration is doing once this announcement is made. That's why I told him to act as if we're going dark starting this week. Everything is going to be about the President and the First Family, and I'm going to be in the middle of it."

"I know you are," Leo said softening. "And you've really knocked it out of the park, CJ. Anything else you need, just let me know."

"Will do, Leo."

Just as CJ was about to leave, Donna and Amy came in.

“Hey CJ,” Donna said.

“Hi,” She replied. “I was just leaving.”

“Actually, you might want to stay, CJ” Amy said.

Leo looked prepared for a crisis, “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Donna and Amy said at the same time and then laughed.

“Today is the President and First Lady’s wedding anniversary,” Donna explained. “The girls were planning to host a little celebration back at the farm with their family. But since we’re all still here waiting for the baby to show up, they decided to move it here and give the staff a way to ease some of the tension that’s been building here lately.

CJ smiled, “That’s really nice of them.”

Leo studied Donna and Amy’s faces, “The President and First Lady have no idea what’s going on, do they?”

“No,” Amy said. “Which is why we’re coming to you, Leo. You think it might be possible to clear everyone’s schedules for a couple of hours? The original plan was to have the party tonight. But let’s face it, no one around here can really focus on work right now, and it’s going to be a beautiful day out. We’re going to set up in the Kennedy Garden.”

Leo weighed the possibilities in his mind. The President’s schedule could be pushed. It had been made extremely mailable starting at the end of July just in case baby Bartlet showed up early. The staff would pick up the slack. But he couldn’t deny that things had been quiet these last few days.

“I think that should work,” He acknowledged.

“We’ve even got the press covered,” Donna said turning to CJ. “Mrs. Gilmore helped the girls plan it, and she arranged for the press to be fed as well.”

“Smart woman. I’m sure I’m going to get more questions about why Congress pushed back their recess back for a bill. Feeding them might help keep them distracted for a little while at least.”

“What time is this party supposed to start?”

“How about right after the briefing on Baby Bartlet?” Donna suggested. “It would give the family enough time to get here. Bess and Henry came in from Virginia.”

Leo’s eyes lit up, “The President is going to love that. It’s been too long since they had the whole family together. Is John coming?”

Donna’s smile faded a bit, “No, he decided to stay up at the farm and watch over the horses for Bess and Henry. Will isn’t coming either.”

John Bartlet lost his wife in a tragic car accident when his daughter Elizabeth and son Will were young. He had never truly recovered. When his daughter, better known as Bess and her husband Henry decided to buy a horse farm in Virginia, John had moved in to help them manage it and help with their kids, 5-year-old Stephanie, better known as Stevie, and 7 month-old Allison. Bess’ younger brother, Will was a surgical resident working in Boston.

“I’m not surprised. Well, it’ll be a good party anyway. Let me know if there’s anything I can do. “

“I think Bess wants to stop in and surprise the President,” Amy said. “She can bring him to the party.”

“Okay, I’ll let Margaret know to put her on my calendar.”

❧

Later, while the staff was in their briefing and most of the family was busy preparing for the party with Emily at the helm in the Kennedy Garden, Ellie and Annie walked across the visitor’s foyer and into the center hallway, headed towards the 2nd floor of the Residence to see Abbey.

“What do you think your surprise is going to be?” Ellie asked her niece curiously.

Annie shrugged, “I don’t know. I almost wished we stayed to help with the party.”

“You’ve been looking forward to seeing grandma and grandpa all week.”

“I was. But now I’m not so sure.”

Ellie frowned, “Why not Annie bananie?”

“Because I don’t think grandma and grandpa like me anymore.”

It was no secret that Annie had been having a hard time not seeing her grandparents for the last few months. But everyone in the family agreed that making Annie keep a secret this momentous wouldn’t be fair to her. Ellie’s heart went out to her.

“Is that why you wanted me to take you up to see grandma instead of your mom?”

“Yeah,” Annie said nodding. “Every time I ask mommy, why we don’t see grandma and grandpa, she makes something up.”

“I’m going to level with you, Annie,” Ellie said with a little smile. “We’ve all been keeping a big secret.”

“I can keep a secret,” She protested.

“I know you can. But this is the kind of secret that grandma and grandpa didn’t want you to have to keep.”

“Is it a bad secret?”

“No,” Ellie replied as they reached the elevator that would bring them up to the Residence. “It’s actually the best kind of secret.”

When they walked into the Residence, Ellie and Annie found Abbey sitting in the West Hall, waiting for them. A small rectangular box sat on the coffee table in front of her. Today, Abbey wore an ivory silk dress with a watercolor pattern that showed off her bump instead of concealing it. She lit up when she saw them.

“Hi sweetheart,” Abbey said. She felt tears well up in her eyes. “I missed you so much.”

Ellie went and sat on the sofa on one side of her mother. Annie didn’t follow her aunt. Instead, she regarded Abbey curiously. Abbey felt a stab of guilt for having kept Annie at arm's length, talking on the phone mostly, since the pregnancy had become too difficult to hide up close.

“Hi grandma,” Annie said, a little hesitantly. She twisted a strand of her dirty blonde hair around her finger, considering the sight in front of her. “Is the big secret the baby in your belly?” She asked after a minute.

Abbey nodded, “That’s the big secret.”

“… I thought I did something wrong,” Annie replied, looking down at her shoes.

“You could never do anything that would make me or grandpa not want to see you. We love you so much.”

Annie smiled and walked over to sit on Abbey’s other side. Abbey wrapped her up in a tight hug before kissing the top of her head.

“Why is it such a big secret, anyway? People have babies all the time. Even Presidents.”

“That’s true. But not very many Presidents have children while they are President, Annie. This baby will be the third one in American history. Which means people are going to be as interested in her as they are in us.”

“You’re going to have a baby girl?” She asked, her eyes lighting up. “I told mommy I want one. But she says it takes time.”

“We’ve been waiting a really long time for our baby sister,” Ellie said to Annie in a conspiratorial whisper.

Annie giggled, “So she’s just really late, then.”

Abbey laughed and then handed Annie the box on the coffee table, “You could say that. This is for you from Grandpa and me.”

Annie took the box and opened it to reveal a gold bracelet with three stars in the center. “Annie” was attached to the stars in a cursive font.

“It looks similar to mine,” Ellie said indicating her necklace. “Your mom has one and so do Aunt Zoey and Grandma.”

The little girl grinned, suddenly feeling very grown-up. Abbey help her put it on.

“We have a surprise for you, too, Grandma,” Annie said looking up at her after admiring the new bracelet. “But we have to show it to you.”

“Okay,” Abbey said. “Where is it?”

“You’ll see,” She said and stood up.

Ellie offered her mother a hand and they both stood. As Abbey did so, she felt her lower back aching as it had for the past several hours.

“Are you okay, mom?” Ellie asked softly in her ear.

“Yes, honey, I’m fine,” Abbey assured her. “Let’s go see this surprise.”

With that, Abbey, Ellie, and Annie headed off to the Kennedy Garden for the surprise anniversary lunch.

❧

In the Oval Office, Jed sat on one of the sofas, reading a briefing book for a meeting later that day. After their own private celebration that morning, Jed headed to the office to work on some outstanding issues, in the hopes that he and Abbey would have true quiet time in New Hampshire. But he was finding it really hard to concentrate since he left Abbey.

The midwife came for her usual visit right before he left so, Jed stayed, and now he almost wished he hadn’t. Abbey’s intuition had been right on the money and Sheila Mason agreed that Baby Bartlet would probably arrive within the next 24 to 48 hours. All Jed wanted was to go find his wife and spend the day in the Residence. The girls were arriving today to help them celebrate their anniversary, and they would finally tell Annie about the baby.

A knock came from the door connecting the Oval to Leo’s office.

“Yeah, Leo,” Jed called.

The door opened and Leo stood in the doorway, “Mr. President, I have someone here who wants to say hello. He moved aside to reveal a young woman with long blonde hair swept up into a low bun in her early 30s.

Jed gave her a thousand-watt smile, “Bess!” He exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

Bess laughed and moved into the room to meet him. The two of them embraced, “It’s good to see you, Uncle Jed. Henry and I brought the girls up for a friend’s party.”

“I suppose that means John stayed at the farm,” He said and saw Leo signal that he was leaving.

“You know him. He doesn’t trust leaving the animals.”

“He never does,” Jed replied with a knowing sigh.

Between the two of them, John Bartlet was more inclined toward agriculture and running the family farm. When their father died, Jed and John each inherited half of the property. Jed oversaw the financial side of the farm while John took care of the day-to-day operations. He built a second house on the other side of the massive property. The two brothers led separate lives but remained very close. Their children grew up together and formed lasting relationships with each other, although Will always lamented being the only boy among four girls.

When Bess met Henry at the University of Virginia, and they decided to buy their horse farm, John moved down to help them set it up and never left. After the death of his wife, Patricia, the farm seemed to be the only thing besides his kids that held him together. John still had a hand in managing the Bartlet farm and still made periodic visits up to New Hampshire. He put his long-time, right-hand manager, Jason, in charge of the farm. He still managed it today.

“I left Henry and the girls in the Kennedy Garden. How about we go down there to say hello?”

“Why not? No one can seem to concentrate on anything lately. I’ve fallen victim to it today too,” He said as they headed out of the Oval, under the Portico, and out onto the West Colonnade towards the East Wing.

“Maybe you should send some of your staff to the Company and set up a training program,” She teased. “In all seriousness, I’m amazed that your news hasn’t leaked yet.”

Bess worked as an intelligence analyst at the CIA. Her husband did work for the NSA, wanting to continue serving the country after years in the Air Force.

“What can I say? I have the best senior staff in all of America,” He said, pride evident in his voice. They walked through the Palm Room and into the Center Hall. “The company is also lucky to have you, Bess. A couple of your memos have made it into my PDB, you know. I won’t say I don’t sleep a little bit better every night knowing that America has you in her corner.”

Bess smiled humbly, “I had good teachers. Speaking of sleep, yours is going to be at a premium soon.”

“For the best possible reason. You and Henry may not appreciate it now. But there will come a day when you wish you savored those early days a little bit longer.”

“Uncle Jed, we just left those early days,” She said with a chuckle. “And I have to tell you, I’m happy we survived them in one piece.”

“Just don’t forget to take it in, Bess,” He said softly. “Life and careers have a funny way of keeping you too busy to do that.”

“I’m beginning to see why you and Aunt Abbey made it this long. Happy anniversary by the way.”

“Thank you. I’ll let you in on a little secret about our longevity.”

“What’s that?”

“We’re partners in everything that we do. From what I’ve seen, Henry seems to be yours.”

“He is,” Bess confirmed. “I wouldn’t have agreed to baby number two if he wasn’t.”

“I have a sneaking suspicion that Abbey feels the same way,” He said as they made their way into the Visitor’s Foyer.

“Grandpa!” Annie exclaimed, letting go of Abbey’s hand and running over to Jed.

Jed scooped her up immediately and gave her the biggest hug, “I missed you like crazy, Annie.”

“I missed you too, Grandpa,” She said. “But now I know it was for a really good reason.”

“Were you surprised?” He asked.

“No,” Annie replied, matter-of-factly. “You and grandma love each other a lot, a lot.”

“We do love each other a lot,” Jed agreed, looking over at his wife.

Time stopped then. As Jed and Abbey looked at each other, it was as if they were standing at the altar for the first time as they were declared husband and wife. The feeling was still the same, only now it was magnified ten-fold. Ellie, Bess, and Annie left them alone in the foyer a few moments later, telling them to count to ten before walking out into the Kennedy Garden.

“I wonder what we’re in store for?” Abbey asked, walking over to take his hand.

Jed took his hand in hers and squeezed it, “I don’t know, but I’ve been thinking about you all day,” He admitted.

“I’ve been thinking about you too,” She said giving him a quick kiss. “And how you might get your wish.”

He laughed, and it died on his lips when he saw the look in Abbey’s eyes, “Should we even be here right now?” He asked, looking concerned.

Abbey rubbed his arm, “Relax, handsome. I’m not in any real pain yet, which means it’s still early. Lovebug could be born at some point tomorrow for all we know. I’m just warning you that our celebration tonight might look a little bit different.”

“I’m okay with that. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. You’ll be the first one to know if I’m not. Now, let’s go out there and see Annie’s surprise.”

Abbey and Jed walked through the Visitor’s Foyer door into the Kennedy Garden together. When they rounded the corner to the garden proper, they saw the entire White House senior staff along with what appeared to be their entire family under an outdoor tent set with tables for an outdoor lunch. Everyone turned toward them as they approached.

“Happy anniversary!”

❧

The Kennedy Garden was abuzz with chatter as wait staff served the lunch meticulously planned by Emily and the Bartlet sisters. The party was in full swing now and the tension of the last couple of weeks had seemed to ease for the senior staff. Almost.

“This feels like a trap,” Toby said to Sam as they surveyed the guests in attendance while sipping what Emily had deemed a hard Arnold Palmer with sweet tea vodka in it.

“It is not,” Sam said. “I think it’s nice that Liz, Mrs. Gilmore, Ellie, and Zoey set this up and invited us.”

“Nice though it might seem, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“We’re at an anniversary party for the President and First Lady, Toby. I don’t think there’s some kind of crisis brewing.”

“Just ignore him,” Josh said to Sam from his place at the table some of the senior staff were sitting around. “We’re all feeling a little on edge these days.”

“A little?” Toby said looking at Josh. “You reduced your new assistant to tears the other day over photocopies.”

“Give him a break, Toby. Josh still hasn’t gotten over that Donna now has arguably the most important job in Government.”

“She does not.”

“Is Josh still in Donna-denial?” CJ asked, coming over to them.

“Yes,” Sam and Toby said together.

She turned to Josh, “Donna deserves this, Josh. I also couldn’t think of a better person to take on the job she has ahead.”

“I know,” He said reluctantly.

“Our jobs will also be infinitely easier if the President knows that his daughter is well-taken care of when she’s out of his sight.”

Josh considered this. CJ was right. They had all been on the receiving end of the President's moods and so far, the ones from July when they were all concerned about Baby Bartlet’s health, were the worst. Before he could offer a response, Liz Bartlet stood up with Ellie and Zoey at the head of the tent and got everyone’s attention.

“Thank you to our family and to the senior staff for taking the time to come to this party and pull off this little surprise for our parents. We couldn’t have done any of this without the help of our Aunt Emily,” Liz said and those assembled clapped in appreciation.

“We also wanted to use this opportunity to thank the White House senior staff. Each of us has spent a fair amount of time around our father’s staffers over the years. None of them quite measure up to all of you,” Ellie continued.

“When you agreed to serve in the Bartlet Administration, keeping our baby sister a secret wasn’t part of this first-year agenda. But you all did it anyway, all while working tirelessly for the American people. We’ve all seen the effort you’ve put in to keep the press focused elsewhere, delaying pieces of legislation, and giving up personal time just to make sure no one could guess what our parents have been hiding,” Zoey added.

“These examples of devotion have proven to us that our baby sister will be in good hands for the remainder of this Administration. So thank you for everything you’ve done for your President and for our family,” Liz concluded.

The assembled Bartlet, Gilmore, and McCord families offered a sustained round of applause for the staff who all looked humbled by the display.

When it died down, Zoey turned their parents, “And last, but certainly not least, happy anniversary, mom and dad. We all came together to honor this day with you because yours is a love that deserves to be celebrated today and every day.”

Another round of applause erupted around the room, this time for the first couple, and more than a few people were a little teary-eyed.

Jed and Abbey were sitting at their own table in one corner of the tent watching the festivities unfold.

“I was right,” Jed whispered in his wife’s ear. “We do good work.”

Abbey didn’t respond right away. Throughout the speech that the girls gave, it took all of her concentration to focus on them. But now that they were over, she allowed herself to focus inward again. The pain she told Jed she wasn’t in had come on stronger since the party began, and it was now happening regularly every few minutes and lasting a full minute.

“Jed, we need to go back upstairs,” She said after a moment before squeezing his hand. “Quietly.”

Jed nodded, “Okay.”

When Abbey was ready, they stood up and casually took a stroll out into the garden with Abbey leaning on her husband for support. They disappeared back around the corner and down the path into the Visitor’s Foyer. Donna saw them leave and followed them after a moment. Charlie fell into step beside her.

By the time they reached the Foyer, the first couple disappeared into the Center Hall. The Secret Service was guarding the entrance but permitted them through. Donna and Charlie saw their respective bosses standing outside the Vermeil Room in what appeared to be an embrace. Abbey was letting out a slow breath. Donna approached them first followed by Charlie.

“Donna,” Abbey murmured. “I need you to go tell the girls that the baby wants to join the party. Tell them first and then Leo. He’ll let the rest of the staff know.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Charlie,” Jed said looking over at his body man. “Head down to the Medical Unit and see if Sheila Mason is around. If not, alert whoever is on duty.”

“Yes, sir,” Charlie said.

Charlie and Donna walked in opposite directions, leaving Jed and Abbey in peace. After a moment, they continued to walk a little more slowly towards one of the elevators that would take them back up to the Residence. Their entire lives were about to change for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby Bartlet aka lovebug is on her way. The next chapter will be up soon!


	8. We're Husband and Wife and Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The White House staff prepares to help welcome a new member of the First Family complete with a betting pool. Abbey worries that her daughter isn't ready to come into the world just yet even as nature takes its course. Jed allows Leo and Hoynes to take the reins of the country while trying to help Abbey through labor. Liz inadvertently reveals a major secret. Zoey gets to participate in a Bartlet family tradition to welcome her new sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’ll see some of the “guest stars” I’ve introduced later on. They are mentioned here because this chapter picks up immediately after the last one. It delves into what I thought might actually happen if a baby was born at the White House today and how the staff would handle that. Some of it is inspired by news coverage of the White House while other stuff comes from my imagination. We’ll see more of the machinery of the government at work in the next chapter as well. 
> 
> But the focus of this chapter is really the birth of Baby Bartlet (who finally gets her name) and the relationship between her parents. 
> 
> Warning: There is a birth scene in this chapter. It’s described in generalities, but I aimed for some realism instead of a typical TV/movie birth scene with a special twist.
> 
> The title of this chapter comes from a line Jed has in TWW 2x20 “The Fall’s Going to Kill You.”
> 
> Enjoy!

_Wednesday, August 18, 1999_  
_Jed and Abbey’s Wedding Anniversary_  
_Afternoon_

❧

The White House senior staff were given exactly twenty minutes to enjoy the recognition they received from the President’s family. For those twenty minutes, the stress Josh, Sam, Toby, CJ, and Leo felt was lifted off their shoulders temporarily, and they allowed themselves to revel in the celebratory atmosphere.

From his position in the tent, Toby saw Donna come back into the garden. He recognized her stride as calm but purposeful as she approached Liz, Ellie, and Zoey who were grouped together talking to their cousins. His eyes scanned the room and noticed that the President and First Lady weren’t anywhere to be found. Toby watched Donna whisper to Liz. Whatever words were exchanged between the two women served as a spark. The match was lit and within seconds, the information Donna relayed spread like fire among the family.

He tracked Donna’s progress towards Leo. She was joined by Amy on the way. Although Leo’s expression gave nothing away, the look in his eyes told Toby that the other shoe just dropped.

“People,” Leo called. “Finish up whatever you’re doing because we have a show to get on the road. Meeting in my office in 15 minutes.”

Everyone looked up at Leo and then stood. His choice of phrase was deliberate. The baby was coming, finally.

The staff moved back into the Visitor’s Foyer and then to the West Wing. Donna and Amy peeled off from them and headed in the direction of the East Wing.

“I’m going to go check on the First Lady, and then I’ll come back over to the office.”

“I’ll start briefing the staff,” Amy replied.

The two women went off in different directions. Donna followed the same path as the President and First Lady took to the elevator that would take her back up to the Residence. Almost immediately, she noticed an increase in Secret Service agents standing around it. The atmosphere had definitely changed. They allowed her through to the elevator, and she stepped onto it. Just before the doors closed, she saw more of the senior staff hurry by. Donna smiled to herself. Today was a good day to be busy.

“Carol!” CJ called as she hurried back into the bullpen and towards her office.

“Yeah, CJ?” Carol said coming up behind her.

“Call the deputy press aids in. It’s time to start prepping everyone on official lines and statements.”

“I’m on it,” She confirmed.

“Don’t get too married to anything!” Toby said from across the bullpen. “Statements might shift.”

“Fine. I’m going to stick with the official line we’re giving for why the President is indisposed.”

“That’s Leo’s call. We’ll figure it out in the staff meeting.”

“Mr. McGarry?” Mrs. Landingham said, coming to Leo’s office door. He had just come back in from the East Wing.

“Yes, Mrs. Landingham?”

“Here’s the remainder of the President’s schedule,” She said handing him a black portfolio.

“Thanks,” He said accepting it.”

“I’ll be here for whatever you need.”

“I appreciate that, Mrs. Landingham,” he said before she returned to the outer Oval Office.

Leo picked up the phone and dialed the extension for the Vice President’s Office.

“Hi, this is Leo McGarry, I need to speak to the Vice President right now. Tell him it’s about the show he’s got tickets for.”

❧

The sound of a healthy fetal heartbeat filled the Master Suite upstairs in the Residence. Unlike the frenetic pace of the West Wing, the bedroom was much quieter. Sheila Mason stood by the footboard of Abbey and Jed’s bed with a doppler in her hand. She pressed the probe gently against Abbey’s stomach. Like in the downstairs hallway, she leaned on her husband for support, dressed in a silk robe with her bra and underwear underneath. The dress Abbey wore to the party had been thrown over a chair and the heels that went with them weren’t far behind. She needed comfort now more than ever.

“Baby’s heart is within normal limits. She seems as relaxed as she was during my visit this morning,” She concluded, removing the probe.

Behind them, Liz, Ellie, and Zoey were in the process of stripping the bed and covering the mattress with a waterproof liner, and adding extra sheets and pads over top of that. This served to both protect the mattress and make changing the sheets easier during labor if needed. Across the room, the midwife’s assistants were setting out their own supplies for easy access. The good bedding was taken off the bed and replaced with well-loved bedding from the farm in New Hampshire. Liz and Zoey brought it along with towels that they’d all used at one point or another at the midwife’s suggestion.

“You would tell me if she’s not tolerating labor,” Abbey said as more of a statement than a question.

“Without hesitation. Would you like me to check you?”

“Not right now,” Abbey replied and let out a low moan as a short, but particularly painful contraction came on.

Jed held her steady. He had expected to feel more nervous than he actually did. But perhaps it was because he couldn’t afford to be nervous. Abbey needed him to be the strong one from here on out, and he was going to be that for her no matter what.

“Okay. You could try getting in the bath or the shower to help make you more comfortable,” Sheila suggested once the contraction had passed.

The phone on the nightstand rang before Abbey could respond.

“Damn it,” She practically growled. “You promised no interruptions.”

“It’s probably Leo,” He said calmly. “Just like we planned.”

Jed stepped out of their embrace and went to go answer the phone. He picked it up.

“Yeah?”

“Mr. President, the Vice President is officially standing by and the Joint Chiefs have been notified. I have the rest of your schedule, and we’re about to divvy up the meetings for the rest of the day and into tomorrow if needed. So, if there’s a crisis, it’s our problem.”

“Thanks, Leo,” Jed said gratefully.

“Godspeed, sir. We can’t wait to meet this little girl.”

When he hung up the phone, Jed felt a mixture of emotions hit him. He was excited and happy obviously. But there was also a heavy weight of responsibility on him too. He’d felt similarly when Liz, Ellie, and Zoey were born. But when they came along, he was still in the statehouse or just starting in Congress. Now, he was the leader of the free world with its entire weight on his shoulders, except for these next hours. Part of him wondered if he could be the father that this little girl deserved to have.

“Jed?” Abbey said breaking into his thoughts.

He turned back to Abbey and saw that she was leaning over one of the high-backed chairs in obvious discomfort. Jed went back to his wife and started rubbing her back.

“I’m all yours, babe,” He told her quietly.

Abbey nodded and waited until the current contraction passed before she whispered back, “Fancy a shower together, handsome?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” He smiled.

❧

While their parents were in the bathroom together, Liz, Ellie, and Zoey went left the master to go to the kitchen to bring their parents, particularly their mother, food and drink during labor to keep her hydrated and prevent her from feeling sick. As they came out, Liz noticed that the doors to the living room or den next door, as her parents used it mostly, were open.

Inside, the rest of the medical team were finishing the set-up of what looked like a medical suite. The normal furniture had been moved out along with the rugs on the floor. The walls and floor were covered in sterile draping and coverings. A cabinet stood against the furthest wall filled with medications and supplies. An operating table stood ready in the center of the room with temporary lights standing up next to it.

Liz saw the medical staff set up other things like the warming table for the baby and putting towels and blankets away for access if needed. As the oldest, Liz tended to be the rock. Nothing fazed her, at least not in the moment. But the sight of this left her breathless. She blanched and turned back before walking quickly into the kitchen.

“Lizzy?” Ellie said following her.

“Are you okay?” Zoey asked coming in behind Ellie.

Liz sat down in a chair at the kitchen table heavily, “I’m fine.”

Ellie knelt in front of her and took her sister’s hand. She moved it to her wrist to check her pulse in doctor mode like their mother, “You’re white as a sheet and your heart is racing. Zoey, can you get Liz some water?”

“Yeah,” Zoey said and went to get a glass from the cabinet before filling it at the sink.

“I’m okay, Ellie,” Liz said again, watching Zoey set the glass of water on the table.

“No, you’re not.”

Zoey sat next to Liz, “They’re not going to need that room, Lizzy.”

“I know, I just didn’t expect that.”

“They’re over-preparing,” Ellie reminded her. “If Midwife Sheila decided to send mom and the baby to Bethesda after the birth, they would have some help in the meantime.”

“There’s an operating table in there,” Liz replied looking at her sister. “What the hell for?”

“In case they had to take the baby out quickly,” Ellie said. “It’s scary. But you saw mom. It doesn’t look like she’ll need it.”

Liz nodded. Ellie let go of her hand and she fingered her wedding ring absently.

Zoey touched her shoulder, “Lizzy, what is it? We’ve all known about these contingency plans for the last few weeks. So, it can’t just be that.”

Ellie stood up and looked at her sister before a smile touched her lips, “You’re just as bad as mom and dad.”

Zoey’s gaze flicked to Ellie, and then she stared at Liz, “No way.”

“I am not,” Liz said defensively.

“I bet mom already knows.”

“I agree,” Zoey said, smiling now. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Zoey,” Liz said softly. “All the same, today is supposed to be about mom and dad, and our sister. I don’t want to take away from that.”

“Our lips are sealed,” Ellie confirmed. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” Liz said, taking a sip of her water. “I’m probably just hormonal, and we’re already feeling emotional.”

“I can take over with some of the pictures if you want.”

“No, I said I would do it and I have no intention to give that up.”

Liz had a keen interest in taking photographs growing up that stuck with her. It kicked into higher gear after Annie was born, and she bought herself a professional camera. Her house was filled with photos of her daughter, husband, and family. So, it only seemed fitting that she offer to capture the birth of her baby sister.

“I guess that takes care of one thing we were worried about,” Ellie said looking at Liz. “Baby sister won’t be so lonely after all.”

The trio shared a brief hug and then set about the task of making sure their parents stayed well-fed and hydrated for the journey ahead.

❧

_When somebody loves you_  
_It’s no good unless he loves you all the way_  
_Happy to be near you_  
_When you need someone to cheer you all the way_

Frank Sinatra’s voice crooned softly in the bathroom. Abbey and Jed were doing their own version of a slow dance in the two-person shower. A bench sat against the back wall and an anti-slip mat lined the shower floor. Abbey stood under most of the rain shower head in the center while water came from a second shower head behind Jed. The atmosphere in the shower was comfortably warm and the lights in the bathroom were low. It was almost as if they were dancing in the rain, just the two of them.

The contractions coming every few minutes like clockwork intruded on the romantic fantasy, but at least Abbey felt like she could manage them like this when they were alone.

_Taller than the tallest tree is_  
_That’s how it’s got to feel_  
_Deeper than the deep blue sea is_  
_That’s how deep it goes if it’s real_

Jed pressed a kiss into Abbey’s hair as they swayed to the music, holding her securely against him so that she could use him for support if she needed to. Ever since Leo called a little while ago to tell him that everything was essentially handled, he had found it impossibly easy to let the concerns of the Presidency go. All that mattered now was Abbey and their lovebug.

_When somebody needs you_  
_It’s no good unless he needs you all the way_  
_Through the good or lean years_  
_And for all the in between years come what may_  
  
_Who knows where the road will lead us?_  
_Only a fool would say_  
_But if you’ll let me love you_  
_It’s for sure I’m gonna love you all the way, all the way_  
_So if you let me love you_  
_It’s for sure I’m gonna love you all the way, all the way_

When the song ended and switched to a different track, Abbey sat on the bench and let out a deep breath. She felt the baby wiggling, a sure sign that she was well on her way to meet them along with the pressure she was creating.

“I forgot how much this hurt,” She said as Jed sat down next to her.

“You’re handling it like a rock star,” He replied as she reached for his hand. He took it and she squeezed it firmly. “You need anything?”

“I’d like for our daughter to wait until she’s a little bigger, but apparently, she’s hell-bent on coming out today.”

“Abbey,” He said gently. “We knew she was coming soon.”

“I know we did. But you weren’t the one who pulled an outfit out for her this morning. We’ve never had a baby this tiny before.”

“No, we haven’t. Your medical team wouldn’t have signed off on your remaining here if they thought the baby was in any danger or if your health was at risk.”

Abbey inhaled again slowly as another contraction came. She had to stay in control. She squeezed Jed’s hand again. It started to rise, this time lasting longer than before. The only thing that tethered her to anything was the feel of Jed’s hand inside hers, holding her steady. Abbey didn’t even register the moan issuing from the back of her throat as the pain hit its peak and stayed there, dancing on the edge of forever, or so it seemed. Then it finally began to taper off. When Abbey opened her eyes again, Jed’s blue ones were watching her. The empathy in them was enough to make her want to cry.

“You can’t fight this baby doll.”

“I’m not ready to let her go.”

Jed swallowed. His first instinct was to tell her that she wasn’t letting their daughter go anywhere. But he couldn’t begin to understand what it was like to carry their children. He didn’t remember Abbey being so scared with Liz, Ellie, or Zoey. Then again, they were a lot younger than and neither of them ever thought they would run into as many obstacles as they had in trying to have another baby. Their tiny little lovebug was the last one. To sit here knowing that was a hard thing. Not meeting her was even harder still.

“Think about how much better you’ll feel once she’s in your arms. I know I will.”

“She needs more time,” Abbey said, tears coming to her eyes.

Jed took her face in his hands and kissed it gently all over in a tender gesture. He could feel the emotional pain she was in and was desperate to make it better.

“She’ll have it with us, sweetheart. I promise you. But you have to let her come.”

In the back of his mind, Jed knew that this meant that their daughter was going to make an appearance sooner rather than later. Many specifics of Liz, Ellie, and Zoey’s births faded with time. But he distinctly remembered Abbey expressing some sort of doubt and a baby showed up within a few hours.

“The only reason you’re able to be here at all is because Leo and Hoynes are running the country.”

He let Abbey bury her face in his shoulder as the next contraction came on and let it ease off before offering a reply, “We’re husband and wife and parents first, Abigail,” He reminded her quietly. “Let God himself strike me down if that ever changes.”

All Abbey offered was a murmured agreement as her body continued working to bring the baby into the world. She knew her efforts to resist this process were futile. But she couldn’t seem to shake the sense of fear that she had about bringing their daughter into this environment with so much uncertainty. The only thing she could do was to hope that her fears would prove to be nothing.

❧

A little while later, Zoey emerged from the Master Suite. Her parents were resting together on the bed because Abbey was getting tired. When she stepped out in the hall, she saw Charlie waiting just outside in the West Hall sitting area looking apprehensive. She smiled at him.

“Hey, Charlie.”

“Hey, Zoey.”

Zoey went over and sat in a chair next to Charlie, “You look like you want to ask something.”

“Well, I was just upstairs with Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore and Mrs. Gilmore wants an update. But I didn’t want to disturb the President and First Lady.”

“Mom and dad are resting in bed right now. Aunt Emily could have come down and checked herself instead of making you do it.”

“She wants to give her sister privacy.”

Zoey rolled her eyes, “Typical. But I suppose she’s right. We’ve been trying to give my parents space, too. They were in the shower listening to “My Way” earlier.

“Still trying to enjoy their anniversary even while having a baby,” Charlie smiled.

“It’s pretty sweet. I thought I would be more nervous watching my mom go through this. There’s just something about watching them together. My mom’s always been the calm, strong one whenever there’s something serious going on at home. Now it’s the reverse. He’s giving her all of his strength.”

“Now you know why they’ve been married so long.”

“Yeah,” Zoey agreed. “I do. And they’re about to get the best anniversary present ever.”

“Are you ready for your sister to come?”

“More than ready. We have this family tradition and I never thought I’d get to be part of it.”

“What’s that?”

“My parents wanted to make Liz a part of Ellie’s birth. So, when she was born, they told Liz her whole name first. Then she got the job of telling our family Ellie’s full name. They carried it on with Ellie who told Liz my name and then our family.”

Charlie grinned, “Now it’s your turn. I knew there was a reason why they kept letting everyone call your sister baby Bartlet.”

“That’s why. My parents also have this thing about seeing us before they name us. To make sure it fits.”

“Makes sense to me. Have you placed a bet in the Baby Bartlet pool yet? The Name is one of the wagers along with the date, time, length, and weight.”

“No,” Zoey replied, shaking her head. “But if I had to guess, I’d go with a name that makes an “E” sound at the end. Our names or nicknames have that sound. Who’s winning so far?”

“It looks like Donna, CJ, and Amy all bet the birthday as today. 5lbs is the more popular weight and 18 inches seems to be the consensus for her length.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Donna wins the whole thing,” She laughed.

“What am I supposed to be winning?” Donna asked, coming up to them. Ever since she met the First Lady in the hall after she left the party, she’d been going back and forth between the East Wing and the Residence every 20 minutes.

“The Baby Bartlet pool.”

“I don’t know about that. But obviously, I got the date right. How are things going, Zoey?”

“Mom’s resting right now. It looks like she’s going to share her birthday with their anniversary though.”

“Living up to that lovebug nickname.”

“ I wouldn’t expect anything less from my sister. How are things going in the office?”

“The Calligrapher’s office is waiting for you to bring them the piece of paper with the name on it. They’ll create an announcement for you to bring to Leo in addition to the official ones. Amy and I have been working with CJ most of the afternoon on statements for the birth. The press is starting to ask questions. Everyone’s trip back into the West Wing didn’t go unnoticed.”

“Good thing the baby’s almost here then.”

“Is there an actual bill Congress is waiting on or is that just an excuse?” Charlie asked Donna.

“The Speaker and VP have something planned. But no one knows what it is yet.”

“I guess we’ll find out tomorrow, then.”

“You better get your sleep tonight,” Zoey said, looking at both of them. “The minute this comes out, everyone is going to be asking mom and dad questions.”

“Well, technically, they’ll be going through CJ, Leo, me, Amy, and the rest of the staff. The goal is to let your parents have the time and privacy.”

“I don’t envy CJ’s job. Is it true she had to bring in press aids from State and Defense to help handle the oncoming onslaught?”

“Yes. I’m waiting for CJ to send a couple of them our way.”

The door opened and Ellie came out into the hall, “Zoey.”

Zoey turned to face her sister, “Is it time?”

“Just about,” She confirmed as one of the midwife’s assistants slipped out and walked next door to alert the rest of the medical team.

Zoey rose and felt a mixture of nerves and excitement, “I guess that’s my cue.”

“Good luck, Zoey,” Charlie said, standing and giving her hand a squeeze.

“Thanks, Charlie,” She said and went back inside.

Donna smiled at Charlie, “I tell you what.” I’ll go up and update Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore. You go and brief whoever’s in the movie theater. “

“That’s Alex, Lorelei, and Rory. The President’s niece took her kids back to their hotel. I think Doug and Annie went back with them. Thanks, Donna.”

“Happy to help.”

The two of them set off to the sunroom and the movie theater, respectively to give one of the last updates on Baby Bartlet. By the time they met again, the Residence would be home to a brand-new person.

❧

When Zoey went back into the bedroom, she saw her parents still on the bed. Her dad had changed into jeans and a Notre Dame t-shirt while Abbey opted for an oversized blue pajama top that snapped down to get it off easily after their joint shower. Only this time, the midwife was sitting on the edge of the bed by Abbey’s feet as she lay on her side. There was definitely a change in the atmosphere.

“What’s going on?” Zoey whispered to Ellie as she went to stand next to her.

“I think the baby’s coming,” She whispered back.

They watched Liz walk over to their father’s side of the bed with her camera in her hands, prepared to capture what was about to come next. The camera began to click softly. On Sheila’s instruction, Jed knelt on the bed and helped support the leg that Abbey started to lift in the air.

Abbey didn’t feel an urge to push like she had with the girls. Instead, she simply felt pressure like the baby was moving down quicker than it had during earlier parts of labor. In fact, it took her mind a moment to realize that her body was already pushing for her, slowly with each contraction.

“That’s it, Abbey. Just let her come down and out,” She said calmly.

In what seemed like only a few minutes, Baby Bartlet began to emerge into the world with a tiny head of shiny dark hair. Abbey kept waiting for even stronger contractions to come in order to get the baby out. But her body was already doing its job. The baby’s head came out easily without a lot of effort or pain. The closest thing she felt to a strong contraction brought the baby’s body out into Sheila’s waiting hands. The pain didn’t even really register with her.

“You did it,” Jed said, his voice thick with emotion.

“What?” Abbey said in disbelief.

He released her leg and Abbey turned, so she was sitting more upright. She looked down to find their little girl curled up and fully encased in a little bubble filled with light yellow fluid, between her mother’s knees on the bed. She was asleep with her tiny little hands resting under her chin and her umbilical cord floating in front of her She looked tiny but utterly perfect.

“No way,” Ellie gasped. Liz saw it too and even behind the lens, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“What is that?” Zoey whispered.

“The baby’s still in her bag of water. It usually breaks during labor, but it didn’t this time.”

“Time?” Sheila said.

“6:17 PM,” said an assistant.

“She’s perfect,” Abbey said quietly, looking at her husband.

“Is she okay?” Jed asked.

Sheila smiled, “She’s fine.”

Abbey straightened her legs and bent down slowly to touch the sleeping baby’s hand. Her little fingers flexed in response, “Hi baby girl,” She whispered, almost reverently.

Jed moved over to look down at their daughter. His heart suddenly felt so full. He reached down and touched one of her tiny feet. It jumped in response, and he laughed, even as tears appeared in his eyes. For the next five minutes or so, Jed, Abbey, Liz, Ellie, and Zoey took in the sight of their daughter and sister laying on the bed, totally unaware that she had come into the world. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

“It looks like you have one more present to open for your anniversary, mom and dad,” Sheila said. “Why don’t you slide your hands under baby, and I’ll open it?”

They did as they were instructed and the midwife cut a hole in the amniotic sac with her scissors before tearing it open carefully. The warm liquid inside spilled out onto the pads underneath. Almost like magic, Abbey and Jed felt the baby take her very first breath. She frowned, looking almost exactly like Jed when he woke up first thing in the morning, and let out a sad cry of protest. Midwife Sheila lifted the baby slightly to remove the rest of the sac before placing the baby back in their hands.

One of the assistants helped Abbey undo her top so she could do skin to skin with the newborn. She lifted the baby to her chest, cradling her close, “I’m sorry we had to wake you up,” She said kissing the little girl’s head several times as relief flooded through her body.

Sheila placed a towel over mother and child and helped them settle back onto the bed. The baby’s cries continued to get louder, making her whole body shake with the effort. Jed moved next to Abbey.

“Did we upset you?” He asked softly, his voice tinged with amused amazement.

“You’re okay,” Abbey whispered. “It’s okay. We’re right here.”

The baby’s cries started to lessen, and she snuggled into Abbey, starting to recognize that she wasn’t alone. She released the most intense feeling of love. It made Abbey’s breath catch in her chest as she looked over at her husband.

“You did it, Abbey,” He said again.

“So did you,” She whispered.

The surrounding activity faded into the background. Jed leaned in and gave his wife a celebratory kiss. When they parted, it was as if the only people in the room were the three of them. Their newest daughter opened her eyes. For now, they were blue and focused intently on her daddy.

“Hello lovebug,” He said. “I’ve been waiting to meet you.” Baby Bartlet moved her little hand in Jed’s direction, and he offered her one of his fingers, which she grasped firmly. He smiled proudly. “She seems perfectly fine to me, mommy,” He said looking at Abbey.

“Seems like it,” Abbey agreed, feeling such an intense surge of love for her husband and their baby.

After a few minutes, Abbey gingerly shifted her daughter and put the baby to her breast. The little girl hesitated for just a second but then latched on without issue. Her entire body relaxed with relief as she began to suckle. It didn’t take long for Abbey to feel a contraction, signaling that the baby was doing her job, helping her mother start to heal. Around them, the midwife and her assistants were quietly moving around them doing assessments and starting the postpartum phase of delivery.

Liz, Ellie, and Zoey watched their parents and their new sister bond, transfixed. They all exchanged hugs and excited whispers with each other as it began to set in that there were really four of them now. And Liz captured every moment of that process in photos. They would be some of the best she ever took. Each of them soaked in these moments together as a family. There would never be anything like it ever again.

“Zoey,” Jed called over to his now-second youngest daughter after things started to settle down a bit. “Come here.”

Liz and Ellie grinned like idiots as they watched their sister cross the room to talk to their parents. Abbey and Jed conferred for a minute to make sure they both agreed on what they were about to tell Zoey. When she reached the bed, Jed whispered the name in her ear. Zoey’s eyes lit up, and then she started to cry happy tears.

“It’s a really good name,” She said after a minute.

“You think your sister will like it?”

Zoey looked over at the baby snuggled up on her mother’s chest, “It suits her.”

She walked back over to her sisters and whispered their new sister’s name to them. In just a little while, it wouldn’t be much of a secret anymore.

❧

The Roosevelt Room in the West Wing had been turned into the Baby Bartlet war room. CJ, Leo, Toby, Sam, and Josh were there along with Margaret, Carol, Bonnie, and Ginger. Amy came over from the East Wing with a couple of staffers an hour earlier. They were all in a debate over what to tell the press when Zoey walked in, accompanied by Donna 90 minutes later. Zoey had a small envelope in her hands.

“Hey,” Donna called over the din of voices debating each other.

Everyone fell silent and looked over at Donna and Zoey.

Leo walked over to them, “I take it you have something for me?”

“Yeah I do,” Zoey said with an irrepressible smile. She handed Leo the envelope.

He opened the envelope and removed the card inside. He smiled as he read it, “You’re not the youngest anymore. Congratulations, Zoey.”

“Thanks, Leo.”

They exchanged a hug before Leo turned to the room at large.

“At 6:17 pm, Felicity Abigail Bartlet came into the world.”

Cheers erupted in the room from everyone and there were hugs all around.

“The winners of the betting pool are going to have to wait for the rest of the details,” Donna added.

“That’s okay Donna,” Leo replied. “We have to get back to work.”

“So do we,” she replied and put an arm around Zoey. “Let’s go see your sister.”

With that Zoey and Donna headed back up to the Residence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics: All the Way- Frank Sinatra
> 
> Thank you for your feedback on this story. The next chapter will be up soon!


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